How Chinese nationalists are like blog commenters
John Pomfret makes the connection: I’ve never really been able to take China nationalism that seriously. It’s like some of the comments on my blog. There’s no shortage of passion but it’s also curiously skin deep. It’s often a foil for anti-government feelings, employed by Chinese who are actually fed up with Communist Party rule ...
John Pomfret makes the connection: I've never really been able to take China nationalism that seriously. It's like some of the comments on my blog. There's no shortage of passion but it's also curiously skin deep. It's often a foil for anti-government feelings, employed by Chinese who are actually fed up with Communist Party rule but aren't allowed to say it. Finally, it often masks deeper divisions in Chinese society. Whenever I read a Chinese blogger urging an anti-foreign boycott or some other type of joint action, I'm reminded of the telling saying that Chinese have about themselves. "A Chinese alone equals the power of a dragon, but three Chinese, nothing but an insect."Read the whole thing.
John Pomfret makes the connection:
I’ve never really been able to take China nationalism that seriously. It’s like some of the comments on my blog. There’s no shortage of passion but it’s also curiously skin deep. It’s often a foil for anti-government feelings, employed by Chinese who are actually fed up with Communist Party rule but aren’t allowed to say it. Finally, it often masks deeper divisions in Chinese society. Whenever I read a Chinese blogger urging an anti-foreign boycott or some other type of joint action, I’m reminded of the telling saying that Chinese have about themselves. “A Chinese alone equals the power of a dragon, but three Chinese, nothing but an insect.”
Read the whole thing.
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner
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