Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Why nationalism succeeds in China but is failing in the West

Why nationalism succeeds in China but is failing in the West

The past four years have reminded Western countries that the appeal of nationalism is universal – it can flourish more easily in authoritarian states like China, but it is an immensely powerful force everywhere.

Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a fiery nationalistic speech on the 70th anniversary of China’s involvement in the Korean war. After declaring that China earned “peace and respect through victory”, Xi explained that Beijing has nothing to fear from “any country and any army, no matter how powerful they used to be” – the United States, in other words.

Nationalism is a central component of the Chinese state’s legitimacy, especially since Xi became president. Key parts of Xi Jinping Thought, which has been enshrined in the preamble of China’s Constitution, pertain to the reassertion of Chinese economic, political and military power.

From the Belt and Road Initiative to the expansion and modernisation of China’s armed forces, Beijing is exerting its power more widely than ever before. And one of the most powerful engines of this rise is a revived and strengthened Chinese nationalism.

The resurgence of nationalism around the world has been one of the most closely watched international developments of the past decade – from US President Donald Trump’selection in 2016 and the Brexit referendum that same year to the success of nationalist parties across Europe and in countries such as Brazil.

However, many of these nationalist gains are being rolled back: former vice-president Joe Biden has defeated Trump in the US election; far more Britons now say they would vote to remain in the EU if the referendum were held today (56.8 per cent versus 34.9 per cent who would still vote to leave); and support for nationalist parties in Germany, France, Italy and other European countries has declined.

While nationalism is fundamental to China’s rise, it hasn’t taken hold in Western democracies as many feared it would just a few years ago.

Why is Beijing able to use nationalism as a galvanising political force in a way that liberal democracies are not?

First, China is an authoritarian one-party state, which allows it to reinforce a coherent nationalist vision while suppressing dissenting views of its national identity and purpose.

China has built the largest and most effective censorship infrastructure in human history – a vast array of social media platforms and international media websites are blocked, behaviour is rigorously tracked and policed, and the publication of online content is tightly controlled.

Would-be autocrats in liberal democracies (like Trump) don’t have these luxuries, which means they can’t disseminate nationalist propaganda nearly as efficiently or uniformly as Beijing. The United States has a robust civil society with unrestricted access to information, and this allows for many competing ideas about American nationhood, history, the role of the government, and so on.

When Trump vowed that he would put “America first”, he was talking to one America among many. Although there are many Chinas as well, Beijing is in a much stronger position to produce the perception that there’s only one.

Second, unlike nationalist movements and parties in the West, Chinese nationalism isn’t inward-looking. Beijing recognises that China’s international influence depends on it becoming more integrated with the global economy, not less.

So it was that, as the US and Britain retreated, withdrawing from massive trade agreements and the European Union respectively, China’s Belt and Road Initiative continued apace.

This is why president-elect Biden should reverse the “America first” retreat that has failed so miserably to bring back manufacturing jobs or reduce the trade deficit with China (which has grown substantially during the Trump years) and recommit the US to alliances with Europe and East Asia.

As the US and other Western democracies attempt to counter China’s rise, they will have to rediscover the principles that underpinned the creation of the international order that has existed since World War II – a conflict which demonstrated how devastating the consequences of unchecked nationalism can be.

Despite the hostility to free trade and international institutions that drove support for populist nationalists on both sides of the Atlantic, Europeans and Americans are quickly discovering that these are the most effective countermeasures they have against an increasingly assertive nationalist China.

The past four years have proven that nationalism offers only dissolution and incipient authoritarianism in liberal democracies. However, this period has also reminded Western countries that the appeal of nationalism is universal – it can flourish more easily in authoritarian states like China, but it’s an immensely powerful force everywhere.

This should serve as a warning to Americans and Europeans on two levels. In China, nationalism will continue to sustain the most powerful authoritarian system in the world. And, in the West, nationalism has posed a grave threat to the institutions necessary to demonstrate that China’s challenge to liberal democracy won’t win the day.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×