[Opinion] Patriotism in China

A number of theories have tried to trace the origin of Chinese nationalism or patriotism. But most academics concur that the Chinese psyche originates from the Three People’s Principles -- nationalism, democracy and the people’s livelihood – as set by Sun Yat-sen. Sun dedicated his life to driving out the inept Manchu Qing Dynasty and to suppressing external invasions by uniting the Chinese people. Though the Mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen in Nanjing was built during the heyday of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party), it remained intact even under the Cultural Revolution. Sun is revered both in Taiwan and China as the founding father of modern China.

As a result of the announcement by several world leaders that they will not attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics and disruptions of the Olympic torch relay, Chinese patriotism is heating up again. Even educated and sensible people in China tend to show very emotional reactions on topics of territory or Tibet, said Bill Sharp, an adjunct professor at Hawaii Pacific University who visited Seoul last week. Chinese go as far as to say Genghis Khan and the Mongols, who dominated and ruled China, were of Chinese origin. Based on such patriotic logic, it is even possible to argue that China has preemptive rights to every region that Khan’s forces passed through. Tibet was the first country to lose sovereignty to the Mongols, who had set out to conquer the world.

Chinese Americans who were angry at CNN for reporting the Tibet crisis took to the streets in demonstrations. They held pickets reading “No CNN (Chinese Negative News).” In major Chinese cities, protests were held in front of Carrefour stores denouncing French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his decision to snub the opening ceremony. Beijing is suspected of controlling the protests behind the scenes, but could also worry that the patriotic action could turn into a pro-democracy movement like the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations.

Chinese consider the Olympics as a matter of national pride. As the Olympic torch travels to major cities around the world, overseas Chinese groups are holding demonstrations supporting China and confronting groups protesting for Tibet. In China, boycotting the Olympics is tantamount to opposing Chinese sentiment. Some also say the rise in China’s economic power and the lack of a dominant ideology since the collapse of the Soviet Union are fueling nationalism in China again.