From Global Asia:
China is a nation of diverse ethnic groups, and nationalism is, therefore, an issue that concerns both its internal and its external affairs. In this article, I deal primarily with nationalism as it pertains to China’s external relations.
Nationalism emerged in China in the 19th century. As the country suffered aggression and invasion, nationalism was typically manifested as patriotic devotion to defense of the homeland. Even if nationalism could not, by itself, offer protection, a sense of righteousness was passed on like a spiritual birthright from generation to generation. As saving the nation became the overriding objective, the government and people were bogged down in traditional culture, and cultural nationalism was raised like an unshakeable fortress against the encroachment of advanced cultures from the outside. The negative aftereffects of this insularity would become only too evident. [Full Text]
Yuan Weishi (袁伟时) is Professor Emeritus in History at Zhongshan University in China.
