Psychoanalysis took root in many countries around the world in the
twentieth century, but China has special significance. It was, of
course, the largest country from which analysis was completely excluded,
from 1949 until the Chinese opening up began in the 1980s. It was not
only the banning of psychoanalytic thought that marked China in this
period. There was also an absence of an effective mental health system
during times of great need in China because of war, famine, industrial
collapse, enormous population growth, and changes in social structure.
This was followed with further changes in family structure through the
one child policy, new policies of entrepreneurship, economic growth,
urbanisation, and increasing exposure to the West. This journal is
conceived as a meeting place of cultures, as a place in which the issues
of this important world encounter can be documented and examined. It is
intended to be an intercultural journal in which theory and clinical
experience can be presented and discussed. At a practical level, the
editorial board is composed equally of eminent Chinese and Western
colleagues who share an interest in the introduction and development of
psychoanalysis in China. It contains articles from both Chinese and
Western contributors, with discussion of ideas, and is a must-read for
those with an interest in the development of psychoanalytic therapy in
China.
