ABSTRACT
Western “imperialism,” especially “American imperialism,” appeared to be the most important subjects for the RMRB. Notably, the frequency of the term “American imperialism” became extremely high after july 1950. Even so, this dramatic change was not caused solely by the Korean War. In those editorials that dealt with economic sabotage, state building, land reform, commercial banks, and the rectification movement, “imperialists” were singled out repeatedly as causes of China’s problems in these areas or as a potential threat to China’s future. Naturally, war contributed to the increasing salience of this enemy. Earlier, in January 1950, the presence of the term was largely due to a single editorial that protested American aid to Taiwan, which was war-related as well.
