John Lee examines how China’s campaign of historical distortion is recycled on the public stage to justify Beijing’s increasingly assertive political, military, and territorial actions. Lee also outlines a series of targeted soft-power policy options that, if implemented, would openly and frequently challenge the historical revisionism Beijing employs to justify its hegemonic ambitions.

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US President Donald Trump reacts after signing executive orders imposing tariffs on imported goods in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik via Getty Images)