From Peiking to Beijing: Understanding Modern China through the Lens of Language

Many wargames that touch China, Taiwan, or cross-Strait tensions rely on familiar political narratives while overlooking a quieter (but equally powerful) driver of meaning: language itself. Names, transliterations, and linguistic reforms shape how legitimacy, sovereignty, and identity are communicated long before the first move is made.

In this talk, Phillip Colon traces the evolution of written and spoken Chinese from the late Qing period through the twentieth century, focusing on language reform efforts and what they reveal about state power, modernization, and contested authority. The session explores how shifts from Peking to Beijing, from traditional to simplified characters, and from multiple romanization systems continue to influence how China and Taiwan narrate themselves, and each other, today.

Framed for wargamers and scenario designers, this presentation examines how linguistic choices quietly structure player assumptions, influence diplomatic signaling, and shape perceptions of legitimacy within games focused on East Asia. The goal is sharper…