Chinese Literature's Route to World Literature

In his article "Chinese Literature's Route to World Literature" Hongtao Liu argues that Goethe's theory of world literature based on the conflicting and unifying values of cosmopolitanism and localism has fueled Chinese literature's desire to join world literatures. Proposed by Zhenduo Zheng with the notion of the "unification of literature" at the beginning of the twentieth century and developed in the 1980s, the "global elements of twentieth-century Chinese literature" in the twenty-first century, this notion remains a feature of Chinese literature's global trajectory. Liu argues that although experiencing a number of transitions, China's pursuit remains relevant and translation remains a significant route for Chinese literature to join the spaces of world literatures. He also posits that other routes such as regional world literature and world literature in Chinese are gaining in importance.