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Sinophile

A Sinophile is a person who demonstrates fondness or strong interest in China, Chinese culture, Chinese history, Chinese politics, or Chinese people.

Notable Sinophiles

Europe

France

Louis XIV, a 17th-century French monarch whose Grand Trianon, spread of Chinoiserie, centennial new year bash, and Confucian translations were influenced by Chinese culture.
Voltaire, a 17th-century French philosopher who admired Chinese culture and Confucian thought.

Germany

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a 17th-century German polymath who loved Chinese culture and studied many aspects of it.

Italy

Marco Polo (c.Ã¢ÂÂ1254Ã¢ÂÂ1324), Italian explorer who was one of the first Europeans to visit China and narrated about the nation in his travelogue, The Travels of Marco Polo
Matteo Ricci (1552Ã¢ÂÂ1610), Italian Jesuit who was the first to translate the Confucian classics into Latin and taught European science to the Emperor and the Chinese literati

Russia

Dmitri Mendeleev (1834Ã¢ÂÂ1907), Russian chemist and inventor
Leo Tolstoy (1828Ã¢ÂÂ1910), Russian writer widely considered one of the world's greatest novelists

Oceania

Australia

Paul Keating (born 1944), Prime Minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996
Kevin Rudd (born 1957), Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and in 2013. Rudd took up Chinese in college and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, but his Sinophile characterisation has been disputed.

North America

United States

Allen Iverson (born 1975), former NBA star basketball player who has expressed affinity for the country
Stephon Marbury (born 1977), former NBA star basketball player who joined the Beijing Ducks and has expressed affinity for the country
James Veneris (1922Ã¢ÂÂ2004), US soldier who defected to China after the Korean War and remained in the country expressing positive feelings until his death in 2004

Asia

Thailand

Sirindhorn (born 1955), Thai princess who has received awards in China for promoting friendship between the two countries

See also

References