The two major primary documents I located, transcribed, and translated during my archival visit in Beijing were two Chinese constitutions promulgated in 1908 and 1911. The juxtaposition of these codes corroborates China’s political progression in the 1900s, when the country witnessed a constitutionalist reform initiated by the late-Qing regime. Represented democracy and separation of power are the keynotes of the two constitutions. Though the constitutionalism and the corresponding political reform failed to preserve the late-Qing regime, the later Nationalist republic in China inherited the essence of the 1900s reform. At this moment, I’d like to temporarily set aside the longstanding historical significance and concentrate on these two documents alone.
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