Chinese nationalism and territorial disputes in East Asia : exploring the dynamics

• Main Author: Wong, Jaime JieNing
• Other Authors: Hoo Tiang Boon
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/59534
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Since the 1990s, talks of a ‘new’ Chinese nationalism, or the ‘rejuvenation’ of Chinese nationalism have pushed scholars to examine how it affects China’s foreign policy, its traditional worldview and its perceptions of an ideal world order. There are reasons to believe that Chinese nationalism is a force to be reckoned with, especially as China grows to become a linchpin of global stability and order. Even more so, it is plausible that the link between Chinese nationalism and the Xi Jinping government’s policy towards territorial disputes is getting stronger in light of a more aggressive form of Chinese nationalism that comes with its economic and political rise. This paper explores the dynamics of the relationship between Chinese nationalism and territorial disputes since 1949, with a specific focus on maritime territorial disputes in the East and South China seas. Consequently, it argues that Chinese nationalism is vital to our understanding of Chinese behaviour towards territorial disputes, further suggesting that Chinese nationalism will most likely play a greater determining role in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s approach to territorial disputes in the coming years.