How China's Nationalism was Shanghaied

Abstract

What kind of a nation-state are the Chinese people and their leaders shaping for themselves as they enter the second century of the 'Chinese revolution'? The quest for national greatness and modernization that began with the early reformers as a quest for 'wealth and power' continues. The relationship of nationalism and modernization is unquestionably a fundamental problem in the history of modem China. Indeed, one can ask whether there is any theme about China that is more hackneyed than 'nationalism and modernization?' What can possibly be said that is new on the subject? What is new is the urgency of the question because we are now seeing, as a part of the worldwide crisis of communism, the unrelenting erosion of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought as the basis of state legitimacy in China. The expectation is that nationalism will have to fill the void created by the 'crisis of confidence' and by the collapse of the myth of socialism as magic. If the future of China lies with nationalism, we had better get a clear understanding of precisely what are the characteristics of Chinese nationalism. What are likely to be the distinctive features of Chinese nationalism in a postMarxist-Leninist era? More importantly, how will the configurations of Chinese nationalism affect the prospects for the modemization of Chinese society and politics? It is my intention to argue, first, that the relationship between nationalism and modernization has taken a form in China that is different from what occurred anywhere else. I want to argue, secondly, that in spite of the greatness of Chinese history, in spite of the manifest durability of everyday Chinese culture that is, in spite of the weight of many of the standard building blocks of nationalism the historical pattern of China's