Emily Matson
@emilymatson.bsky.social
Historian of 20th century China, 东北 (Manchuria), WWII. Georgetown University and GWU. Penn-US China fellow. CFR term member. Speaks/writes español, 中文, 少し日本語, немного по-русски.
Pinned
Emily Matson
@emilymatson.bsky.social
· Aug 21
China’s Date Debate
China’s Date Debate is an in-depth investigation of the Chinese Communist Party’s remapping of China’s World War II timeline from eight years (1937-–1945) to fourteen years (1931–1945). Instead of the...
press.umich.edu
I'm excited to share that my first monograph, "China's Date Debate: How Manchurian Scholars Rewrote World War II," is available for preorder through the University of Michigan Press, China Understandings Today series!
China’s Date Debate press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
China’s Date Debate press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
Excited to be a panelist for this! uscet.org/18th-asn-con...
18th ASN Conference – World War II 80 Years On: Remembrance and Reassessment in U.S.-China Relations – US-China Education Trust
uscet.org
November 21, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Excited to be a panelist for this! uscet.org/18th-asn-con...
During these uncertain times, something that has brought me a lot of joy has been practicing my Chinese, Japanese, and Russian language skills online. It has been quite fun, and I'm excited to see some progress. Here is a random excerpt from my Russian homework - still basic, but I can communicate!
November 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
During these uncertain times, something that has brought me a lot of joy has been practicing my Chinese, Japanese, and Russian language skills online. It has been quite fun, and I'm excited to see some progress. Here is a random excerpt from my Russian homework - still basic, but I can communicate!
I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Thirtieth Term Member Conference at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City this week! I was having too much fun meeting new people and forgot to take many conference photos, but here are a few! @cfr.org
October 22, 2025 at 8:22 PM
I thoroughly enjoyed attending the Thirtieth Term Member Conference at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City this week! I was having too much fun meeting new people and forgot to take many conference photos, but here are a few! @cfr.org
Next Friday at the Elliott School of International Affairs! @gwu1821.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Next Friday at the Elliott School of International Affairs! @gwu1821.bsky.social
Thanks to the Sigur Center for Asian Studies for this animated shot of me discussing my research on World War II in China and Manchuria on Friday, September 26th! @gwu1821.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Thanks to the Sigur Center for Asian Studies for this animated shot of me discussing my research on World War II in China and Manchuria on Friday, September 26th! @gwu1821.bsky.social
Very happy to be this panel’s discussant and excited to see everyone in Vancouver in March! @asianstudies.org
September 30, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Very happy to be this panel’s discussant and excited to see everyone in Vancouver in March! @asianstudies.org
I had a great time giving a talk about World War II memory, Manchuria, and my new book at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Sigur Center for Asian Studies on Friday! Thanks to Daqing Yang and Mike Mochizuki for the invitation! @gwu1821.bsky.social
September 29, 2025 at 2:26 AM
I had a great time giving a talk about World War II memory, Manchuria, and my new book at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Sigur Center for Asian Studies on Friday! Thanks to Daqing Yang and Mike Mochizuki for the invitation! @gwu1821.bsky.social
Big congrats to my graduate student in Georgetown University's Department of History, Enrico Osvaldi, for passing his comprehensive exams yesterday! It was a privilege to participate as one of the examiners for his subfield on nationalism in China and Japan. @georgetownuni.bsky.social
September 25, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Big congrats to my graduate student in Georgetown University's Department of History, Enrico Osvaldi, for passing his comprehensive exams yesterday! It was a privilege to participate as one of the examiners for his subfield on nationalism in China and Japan. @georgetownuni.bsky.social
Reposted by Emily Matson
If you are in DC, this upcoming event on Friday reflecting on WWII in the Asia Pacific 80 years on should be special (no better keynote speaker imaginable for this than Carol Gluck) sigur.elliott.gwu.edu/2025/09/10/9...
[9/26/2025] World War II at 80: War Generations, Society, and Memory in the Asia Pacific
At the Elliott School of International Affairs
sigur.elliott.gwu.edu
September 23, 2025 at 11:42 PM
If you are in DC, this upcoming event on Friday reflecting on WWII in the Asia Pacific 80 years on should be special (no better keynote speaker imaginable for this than Carol Gluck) sigur.elliott.gwu.edu/2025/09/10/9...
Next Friday at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies! @gwu1821.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Next Friday at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies! @gwu1821.bsky.social
A new op-ed from me on China's WWII! @asianstudies.org www.asianstudies.org/why-does-chi...
Why Does China Care So Much about World War II? - Association for Asian Studies
By Emily Matson On September 3, 2025, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) pulled out all the stops in its military parade along Chang’an Avenue in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the C...
www.asianstudies.org
September 18, 2025 at 8:59 PM
A new op-ed from me on China's WWII! @asianstudies.org www.asianstudies.org/why-does-chi...
Reposted by Emily Matson
Great audience (with outstanding questions!) for our third cohort fellows @kyleichan.bsky.social, Yingyi Ma, @carlminzner.bsky.social, & Elsa Kania tonight at JF Books
September 10, 2025 at 11:21 PM
Great audience (with outstanding questions!) for our third cohort fellows @kyleichan.bsky.social, Yingyi Ma, @carlminzner.bsky.social, & Elsa Kania tonight at JF Books
I was interviewed by Chinese media outlet Guancha about my research on China’s WWII and Unit 731. The article came out a few days ago: m.guancha.cn/EmilyMatson/...
m.guancha.cn
September 5, 2025 at 12:41 PM
I was interviewed by Chinese media outlet Guancha about my research on China’s WWII and Unit 731. The article came out a few days ago: m.guancha.cn/EmilyMatson/...
Looking forward to attending this next Wednesday as part of our Penn Project D.C. week agenda!
Many thanks to JF Books for hosting this event in Washington, DC next week featuring 4 of our current Project Fellows (Yingyi Ma, @kyleichan.bsky.social, Carl Minzner, & Elsa Kania) previewing the U.S.-China policy recommendations they are developing through our Project. Full details below:
September 2, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Looking forward to attending this next Wednesday as part of our Penn Project D.C. week agenda!
With China set to host a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end, now’s an excellent time to preorder my book “China’s Date Debate: How Manchurian Scholars Rewrote World War II”! press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
China’s Date Debate
China’s Date Debate is an in-depth investigation of the Chinese Communist Party’s remapping of China’s World War II timeline from eight years (1937-–1945) to fourteen years (1931–1945). Instead of the...
press.umich.edu
September 2, 2025 at 8:47 PM
With China set to host a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end, now’s an excellent time to preorder my book “China’s Date Debate: How Manchurian Scholars Rewrote World War II”! press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
Reposted by Emily Matson
September 2, 2025 at 4:39 PM
I told Bloomberg that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s current narrative on World War II highlights that “the CCP were really the ones resisting Japan from the start.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Xi Wages ‘Memory War’ to Rewrite WWII History With Eye on Taiwan
Outside a rain swept mountaintop museum where Chinese forces fought a key battle against Japan in 1940, footage of President Xi Jinping last month blared out of a giant television.
www.bloomberg.com
September 2, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I told Bloomberg that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s current narrative on World War II highlights that “the CCP were really the ones resisting Japan from the start.” www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
“(WWII is) a really important part of the Communist Party’s legitimizing narrative as the leader of the Chinese people,” said Emily Matson, a scholar of modern Chinese history who teaches at Georgetown and George Washington universities.” apnews.com/article/chin...
China's military parade is a show of strength from a country devastated in World War II
Yang Huafeng, a 92-year-old Chinese army veteran, recalls the modest military presence at the founding of communist China in 1949.
apnews.com
September 2, 2025 at 12:34 PM
“(WWII is) a really important part of the Communist Party’s legitimizing narrative as the leader of the Chinese people,” said Emily Matson, a scholar of modern Chinese history who teaches at Georgetown and George Washington universities.” apnews.com/article/chin...
@georgetownuni.bsky.social grad students - Dr. Denise Ho's fall seminar "ASST5083/HIST6383: From Pearl River Delta to Greater Bay Area" examines the history & politics of the South China region - topics include diaspora & migration, urbanization & industrialization, revolution & politics!
August 27, 2025 at 1:06 AM
@georgetownuni.bsky.social grad students - Dr. Denise Ho's fall seminar "ASST5083/HIST6383: From Pearl River Delta to Greater Bay Area" examines the history & politics of the South China region - topics include diaspora & migration, urbanization & industrialization, revolution & politics!
I'm excited to share that my first monograph, "China's Date Debate: How Manchurian Scholars Rewrote World War II," is available for preorder through the University of Michigan Press, China Understandings Today series!
China’s Date Debate press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
China’s Date Debate press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
China’s Date Debate
China’s Date Debate is an in-depth investigation of the Chinese Communist Party’s remapping of China’s World War II timeline from eight years (1937-–1945) to fourteen years (1931–1945). Instead of the...
press.umich.edu
August 21, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I'm excited to share that my first monograph, "China's Date Debate: How Manchurian Scholars Rewrote World War II," is available for preorder through the University of Michigan Press, China Understandings Today series!
China’s Date Debate press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
China’s Date Debate press.umich.edu/Books/C/Chin...
Excited to teach this course at the George Washington University's Sigur Center for Asian Studies again this fall! @gwu1821.bsky.social
This week, we are highlighting the course Korean-Japan Relations by Prof. | Sigur Center for Asian Studies
This week, we are highlighting the course Korean-Japan Relations by Prof. Emily Matson! This course will explore the historical context of today's complex relationship and its economic, security, and ...
www.linkedin.com
August 16, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Excited to teach this course at the George Washington University's Sigur Center for Asian Studies again this fall! @gwu1821.bsky.social
It was so kind of Rana Mitter to give my research and forthcoming book on China’s WWII and the 14-year war a mention in this recent episode of Pekingology on “History, Memory, and the Party.” It’ll be out with the University of Michigan Press next June! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
History, Memory, and the Party
Podcast Episode · Pekingology · 07/24/2025 · 41m
podcasts.apple.com
August 14, 2025 at 7:28 PM
It was so kind of Rana Mitter to give my research and forthcoming book on China’s WWII and the 14-year war a mention in this recent episode of Pekingology on “History, Memory, and the Party.” It’ll be out with the University of Michigan Press next June! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
Reposted by Emily Matson
We are delighted to invite applications for our new Program Manager position! This is a full-time position, with benefits, @upenn.edu. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through Friday, August 29. The full job posting is available on our website at:
global.upenn.edu/future-of-us...
global.upenn.edu/future-of-us...
August 11, 2025 at 1:57 PM
We are delighted to invite applications for our new Program Manager position! This is a full-time position, with benefits, @upenn.edu. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis through Friday, August 29. The full job posting is available on our website at:
global.upenn.edu/future-of-us...
global.upenn.edu/future-of-us...
Honored to have had the incredible opportunity to engage with outstanding Chinese academics on timely issues related to US-China relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing the other week.
Each year, the centerpiece of our @penn-us-china.bsky.social fellows’ visit to Beijing is a 2 day workshop at Tsinghua University. This year’s discussions were simply outstanding. Many thanks again to my friend Da Wei for hosting us, and also this year to Prof. Wang Jisi for his keynote remarks
July 7, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Honored to have had the incredible opportunity to engage with outstanding Chinese academics on timely issues related to US-China relations at Tsinghua University in Beijing the other week.
Reposted by Emily Matson
Glad to see this reposted, gave me a chance to give shout outs for good books that were largely under the radar, eg a set of Liang Qichao essays, an accessible book by @katemh.bsky.social w/a great title:Women & Their Warlords, also includes an early plug for a 2025 book: by @emilyzfeng.bsky.social
"I find appealing works that push back against monolithic views of this big country, and I want to do a bit to amplify their impact."
fivebooks.com/best-books/t...
fivebooks.com/best-books/t...
The Best China Books of 2024
American professor and modern Chinese history specialist, Jeffrey Wasserstrom, talks us through some of his favorite books about China published in 2024.
fivebooks.com
May 25, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Glad to see this reposted, gave me a chance to give shout outs for good books that were largely under the radar, eg a set of Liang Qichao essays, an accessible book by @katemh.bsky.social w/a great title:Women & Their Warlords, also includes an early plug for a 2025 book: by @emilyzfeng.bsky.social