The Economist cover last week featured a snarling image of a dragon, accompanied by the phrase “Angry China,” to illustrate the challenges to domestic governance and foreign affairs posed by resurgent Chinese nationalism. Flare-ups of Chinese resentment toward actions and criticisms by foreign states are, of course, nothing new. As a briefer from the Council on Foreign Relations describes, Chinese nationalism is deeply rooted in grievances related to China’s historic relations with the Western world and is inextricably tied to the initial rise of Chinese communism as a movement. There are several important aspects of the issue of Chinese nationalism, not the least of which is its effects on the government’s foreign relations, as well as broader global attitudes toward China’s rise. However, no less important is the relationship of Chinese nationalism to internal governance.
As the CFR analysis, the Economist article, and just about every other piece on Chinese nationalism notes, the outbursts are inseparable from issues connected to internal governance. As the Economist puts it, “the appeal to nationalism is a double-edged sword: while it provides a useful outlet for domestic discontents, it could easily turn on the government itself...popular anger, once roused, can easily switch targets.” A complementary article uses the ecological nightmare of Tai Lake, once a prime tourist attraction, to illustrate the type of governance shortcomings driving the protests that the government tries to channel toward nationalism. Another piece, in the Financial Times, notes that the control of information by the Chinese state is extremely distorting insofar as many young Chinese think the West is conspiring against them because they do not grasp the idea of organic, non-government backed expressions of protests such as the worldwide demands for greater Tibetan rights. Ironically, even as China’s economic integration with the world continues headlong, China's repressive media environment means that many of its citizens are acting on the basis of dire misconceptions about how the rest of the world works.
One of the keys here is the question of sustainability. As the introduction to the Countries at the Crossroads 2007 report details, China is a welter of contradictions. Maintaining a lid on political ferment even as China continues its integration into the global economy brings new pressures on the government from every direction, presenting an unprecedented challenge. As citizens become more aware of rising inequality within China and the opportunities that are denied them due to arbitrary and capricious governance, pressures for more responsive and effective governance will invariably grow. Nationalism is clearly a tried and true outlet for such pent up pressure in many countries. However, it is generally insufficient. Of the many virtues of greater political openness is that it enables peaceful outlets for citizen frustration – in essence societal safety valves that can ameliorate growing socio-economic unease.
The current governance approach presents clear gaps and is not likely to be sustainable. It is unclear how long China will continue to economically advance absent meaningful political reform. In particular, the massive shortcomings in rule of law, rampant corruption, and the ongoing environmental catastrophe will inevitably have an impact on the ability of the state to keep its citizens politically pacified and could also harm China’s continued attractiveness as an investment destination. However, the images of growing nationalism serve as an important reminder that China’s leaders must look to new ways of addressing the growing expectations of their people.
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