Chinese subjectivity

This week's reading suggests that the self/ subjectivity engendered in the chaos of modernity to a practical purpose: to save China. It seems that the subjectivity emerged due to, in C.T. Hsia's terminology, the obsession with China. Indeed from the late Qing thinkers to post-May Fourth intellectuals, the motive or stimulus of revolution in every field was the tremendous fear of the clash of China and strong desire to revive it. In this context, the subjectivity in modern China was to be distinguished from the self-consciousness in Western culture(s), to which Denton and Lydia Liu claim to be one of the sources of modern Chinese subjectivity. Furthermore, the obsession with China would lead to distinguish the subjectivity in modern China from the self-consciousness in pre-modern China such as Wei Jin period. Here comes the question. Why Chinese intellectuals in the late 19th century and early 20th century were obsessed to 'China' to such a great extent, compared to intellectuals in other epochs or other parts of the world? Lydia Liu's discussion regarding the issue of foreign and 'central state' might be helpful.
My personal question is why Lydia Liu adopted the terminology of 'translingual practice' in her books? Because that multiple languages involved in the shaping of Chinese self? Is that trans-cultural practice?