China & the Many Facets of Nationalism

Nationalism is the exaltation of one nation that claims superiority above all other nations. Nationalism is typically characterized by a population of a nation pledging unfaltering faithfulness to the national interests of that nation. Nationalism is not necessarily confined to the territorial boundaries of a state or to a single ethnic population. Nationalism is a powerful force that can evolve over time or be set off by one, or many, specific occurrences. Nationalism in China will be examined forthcoming, as will its causes, influences and characteristics, and the effects Chinese nationalism has had on international relations particularly with the United States.

The March 1996, World Press Review, article called, "Talking Tough, Waving the Flag" discusses China's current resurgence in nationalism. The article concludes that this resurgence occurred after the 1989 Tiananmen Square occurrence after which Beijing promptly began a resistance against "counterrevolutionary rebellion", desiring to squelch even the first signs of anti-Chinese sentiments before they could flourish (13). This resistance eventually came to include pro-democracy resistance particularly toward the United States (13). China's leaders started an educational campaign in full view of the international arena with a prevalent message that chaos, disunity, and humiliation, can be caused by human rights and democracy from foreign aggressors (13).