Popular Nationalism and Chinese Foreign Policy

Abstract

This article focuses on the influence of popular nationalism on
contemporary Chinese foreign policy. After analyzing several cases of
popular protest with nationalistic overtones, we reach the conclusion that
the impact of popular nationalism on Chinese foreign policy is limited.
Firstly, the communist regime tightly controls any attempts at unsanctified
collective action and allows a nationalist protest to happen only when it is
favorable for signaling China’s resolve to its diplomatic partners during
international crises. Second, nationalism is only a part of the contemporary
PRC’s legitimacy, as another part of it is its keeping up of the steady pace of
its economic modernization and increasing of the general welfare, which
couldn’t be achieved without maintaining a high level of economic
interdependence with many crucial economic partners, including the USA
and Japan. Third, the Chinese public is, in general, not as nationalistic as is
indicated in much of the literature analyzing nationalism in the
contemporary PRC.