Who is Nationalist Now in China?: Some Findings from the 2008 East Asian Social Survey

This study examines the major sources of Chinese new nationalism among the Chinese populace two decades after the 1989 Tiananmen movement. Based on the 2008 East Asian Social Survey (EASS) using China data collected nationwide, this research finds that China’s major sources of popular nationalism in 2008 are largely consistent with “New Left” intellectuals’ propositions. In contemporary China, Chinese national identity is premised on identification with Asia rather than Western countries and Japan as the “other” that supports China’s self-image as a “victim”. This new identity boundary has enabled the positive roles and traits of Confucian culture to build and shape Chinese new nationalism.