Abstract: In the past 20 years, most of subjects under discussion in Chinese academia were on interpretational function of literary theories and interpretation power of western literary theories for Chinese literature. Therefore, contemporary Chinese literary theories could construct their own discourse in dimension of interpretation. With awareness that western literary theories are sectional, it is necessary to review the research history of western literary theories particularly as instruments of interpretation in China, and then, it is possible to discover the growing point of contemporary Chinese literary theories themselves and thus to promote cultural self-confidence.

Key words: sectional, interpretation power, discourse construction, contemporary Chinese literary theories, cultural self-confidence