First was Washington’s selfless dedication to his country, a rebuke to the widespread corruption in the Qing court. Second, Washington had thrashed the British, China’s foe. Third, in contrast to China’s sclerotic monarchy, where the emperor clung to power until his dying day, Washington’s return to civilian life served as a model of the cardinal virtues that Chinese sages had promoted from time immemorial. Just as Washington had mistaken the Chinese for Caucasians, Xu and his fellow scholars saw Washington’s virtues as Chinese.
