Chinese nationalism
Chinese nationalism[a] is a form of nationalism in which asserts that the Chinese people are a nation and promotes the cultural and national unity of all Chinese people. According to Sun Yat-sen's philosophy in the Three Principles of the People, Chinese nationalism is evaluated as multi-ethnic nationalism, which should be distinguished from Han nationalism or local ethnic nationalism.
This article is about nationalism that asserts all Chinese, including ethnic minorities, are a nation. For Chinese nationalism applied exclusively to the Han Chinese ethnicity, see Han nationalism. For the diplomatic system and ideology that emphasized China's centrality in the world, see Sinocentrism. For the political party commonly known as the Chinese Nationalist Party, see Kuomintang.Chinese nationalism
中國民族主義
中国民族主义
Zhōngguó mínzú zhǔyì
Zhōngguó mínzú zhǔyì
ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄓㄨˇ ㄧˋ
中華民族主義
中华民族主义
Zhōnghuá mínzú zhǔyì
Zhōnghuá mínzú zhǔyì
ㄓㄨㄥ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄓㄨˇ ㄧˋ
Modern Chinese nationalism emerged in the late Qing dynasty (1644–1912) in response to the humiliating defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War and the invasion and pillaging of Beijing by the Eight-Nation Alliance. In both cases, the aftermath forced China to pay financial reparations and grant special privileges to foreigners. The nationwide image of China as a superior Celestial Empire at the center of the universe was shattered, and last-minute efforts to modernize the old system were unsuccessful. These last-minute efforts were best exemplified by Liang Qichao, a late Qing reformer who failed to reform the Qing government in 1896 and was later expelled to Japan, where he began work on his ideas of Chinese nationalism.
The effects of World War I continually shaped Chinese nationalism. Despite joining the Allied Powers, China was again severely humiliated by the Versailles Treaty of 1919 which transferred the special privileges given to Germany to the Empire of Japan. This resulted in the May Fourth Movement of 1919, which developed into nationwide protests that saw a surge of Chinese nationalism. Large-scale military campaigns led by the Kuomintang (KMT) during the Warlord Era that overpowered provincial warlords and sharply reduced special privileges for foreigners helped further strengthen and aggrandize a sense of Chinese national identity.
After the Empire of Japan was defeated by Allies in World War II, Chinese nationalism again gained traction as China recovered lost territories previously lost to Japan before the war, including Northeast area and the island of Taiwan. However, the Chinese Civil War, (which had paused due to the Second Sino-Japanese War) had resumed, damaging the image of a unified Chinese identity. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was victorious in 1949, as the KMT government retreated to Taiwan. Under Mao Zedong, the CCP began to employ Chinese nationalism as a political tool. Chinese nationalism has become more Han-centric since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012.
In addition to the national symbols of China, the national symbols of the Republic of China, and the flags of China, there are many symbols opted for use by Chinese nationalists. Some of these include Chinese legendary or ancient figures such as the Yellow Emperor[14]: 19 and the Fire Emperor, Yu the Great, Qin Shi Huang, or more modern figures such as Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, or Mao Zedong. Another symbol often used is the Chinese dragon as a personification for the Chinese nation.
Similar to the use of the chrysanthemum (which also has cultural significance in China) in Japan as the Imperial Seal of Japan, the plum blossom is also a national symbol of China, designated by the Legislative Yuan in the Republic of China on 21 July 1964.[75] It was also proposed to be the national flower of the People's Republic of China.[76] The Republic of China patriotic song The Plum Blossom revolves around its symbolism for China.
In the Republic of China, as the National Flower, the plum blossom symbolises:
Opposition[edit]
There are movements for regional secession from China and independence for Taiwan.
The Milk Tea Alliance formed by netizens from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Thailand began as a reaction against Chinese nationalist commentators online.[78][79]
Elements of Japanese nationalism are hostile to China. In World War II, the Empire of Japan conquered large swathes of Chinese territory, and many contemporary nationalists in Japan deny the events of the Nanking Massacre.[80]
State nationalism
國家主義
国家主义
Statism[84]
guójiā zhǔyì
guójiā zhǔyì
ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄓㄨˇ ㄧˋ
中國國家主義
中国国家主义
Chinese statism
Zhōngguó guójiā zhǔyì
Zhōngguó guójiā zhǔyì
ㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄓㄨˇ ㄧˋ
Types of Chinese nationalism[edit]
Populist nationalism[edit]
Populist nationalism or popular nationalism (Chinese: 民粹民族主義 or simply "民族主義")[81][82] is a comparatively late development in Chinese nationalism of the 1990s. It began to take recognizable shape after 1996, as a joint result of the evolving nationalist thinking of the early 1990s and the ongoing debates on modernity, postmodernism, postcolonialism, and their political implications-debates that have engaged many Chinese intellectuals since early 1995.[83]
