In Chinese culture, a Hanjian (simplified Chinese: 汉奸; traditional Chinese: 漢奸; pinyin: Hànjiān) is a derogatory and pejorative term for a race traitor to the Han Chinese ethnicity, The word Hanjian is distinct from the general word for traitor, which could be used for any race or country. Literally, it means traitor who is the Han or one who betrays Han (people), and traces back to the Manchu Dynasty (1644-1912).
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During the Qing Dynasty, the Han Chinese were the majority of the population but were subdued by the ruling Manchus. Initially, the Manchu Qing government used the term to name Han Chinese who were rebellious against Manchu rule. During the late Qing period, anti-Manchu nationalists used the term for Hans who collaborated with the Qing government and thus were traitors of the Han people.[1] The word was often used retroactively for historical Han traitors, such as Wu Sangui, who had assisted the Manchus in conquering China.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War (World War II), the National Revolutionary Army was defeated in various encounteres by the Japanese forces. Chiang Kai-shek explained that Hanjian espionage helped the Japanese and ordered CC Clique commander Chen Lifu to arrest such Hanjian.[2] The persons arrested were 4,000 in Shanghai[3] and 2,000 in Nanking.[4] Because martial law was in force, it was explained that formal trials were not necessary, and the condemned were executed swiftly, while thousands of men, women and children watched with evident approval.[5]
The pro-Japan collaborationist government in Nanjing led by Wang Jingwei during the World War II is considered to be Hanjian by most Chinese, as are individuals from Taiwan who fought in the Imperial Japanese Army against China and the Allies. The word also came to be used in the Chinese legal system: the Republic of China (ROC) enacted Regulations Regarding Punishment of Hanjian (1938) and Regulations [on] Dealing with Hanjian (1945). The People's Republic of China (PRC) ratified a Direction for the Confiscation of Properties of War Criminals, Hanjian, Bureaucratic Capitalists and Anti-Revolutionaries.
After the Sook Ching Massacre in World War II, prominent Singaporean Chinese industrialist and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee proposed to the provisional ROC government to treat all Chinese who attempted to negotiate with the Japanese as Hanjian. His proposal was adopted by the Second Legislative Yuan and was lauded as "the best proposal in the world" by the Chinese resistance who fought against the Japanese.
During the Cold War, the People's Republic of China classified Chinese citizens who collaborated with a hostile foreign power as Hanjian.
Because of the dominance of Han culture in China, Han and Chinese are virtually equivalent to each other. Therefore, in the modern context of this word, a Hanjian is one who is a traitor to Chinese, whether the political, geographical or cultural concept, and is not necessarily limited to Han Chinese.
A Hanjian is more specific than simply any traitor in that since a Hanjian would need to collaborate with an external power that is not Han or Chinese to be considered one. Theoretically, in civil wars there would not be any Hanjian, but in reality both sides of the Chinese Civil War accused each other of being Hanjian, for the Americans and the Soviets. As such, an accusation that someone is a Hanjian is much stronger than an accusation of being simply a traitor.
The word has been criticized for promoting a unitary, ethnically homogeneous state, and the use of Han is considered by some as Han chauvinism. These groups suggest using Huajian (traitors of the Chinese race or people) or simply, traitors to the nation.
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Hanjian (Pinyin Han4jian1, sim 汉奸)
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