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Patriotism, Nationalism and China's US Policy: Structures and Consequences of Chinese National Identity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2011

Peter Hays Gries ,
Qingmin Zhang ,
H. Michael Crowson  and
Huajian Cai
Peter Hays Gries
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma. Email: [email protected] (corresponding author).
Qingmin Zhang
Affiliation:
Beijing University.
H. Michael Crowson
Affiliation:
University of Oklahoma.
Huajian Cai
Affiliation:
Chinese Academy of Sciences.
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Abstract

What is the nature of Chinese patriotism and nationalism, how does it differ from American patriotism and nationalism, and what impact do they have on Chinese foreign policy attitudes? To explore the structure and consequences of Chinese national identity, three surveys were conducted in China and the US in the spring and summer of 2009. While patriotism and nationalism were empirically similar in the US, they were highly distinct in China, with patriotism aligning with a benign internationalism and nationalism with a more malign blind patriotism. Chinese patriotism/internationalism, furthermore, had no impact on perceived US threats or US policy preferences, while nationalism did. The role of nationalist historical beliefs in structures of Chinese national identity was also explored, as well as the consequences of historical beliefs for the perception of US military and humiliation threats.

Type
Articles
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 205 , March 2011 , pp. 1 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © The China Quarterly 2011

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