Chinese Nationalism through the Prism of the Sino–Japanese Dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands

Burcu, Oana

Abstract

In the last two decades, against the backdrop of multiple anti-Japanese protests in China, the rise of Chinese nationalism has been much debated. By taking the 2010 and 2012 Sino–Japanese crises over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands as a case study, the article applies discourse analysis to media articles and interviews to ascertain the Chinese government’s propaganda toolbox in shaping the nationalist discourse, as well as to substantiate the defining features of anti-Japanese nationalism. The findings reveal a combination of strategies and techniques that the propaganda apparatus uses, such as the creation of an ‘us-versus-them’ dichotomy, galvanised inclusiveness, censorship, and ‘card-stacking’ to mould nationalism. The article substantiates empirically both top-down and bottom-up strains of nationalism, and their interaction through the four key themes of sovereignty, history, mistrust and reactivity. It finds that Japan bridges these strands of Chinese nationalism, but in its absence alternative views of nationalism are articulated.

Citation

Burcu, O. (2022). Chinese Nationalism through the Prism of the Sino–Japanese Dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands. Asian Studies Review, https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2022.2040429

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 9, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Mar 6, 2022
• Publication Date: Mar 6, 2022
• Deposit Date: Mar 10, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 7, 2023
• Journal: Asian Studies Review
• Print ISSN: 1035-7823
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-8403
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2022.2040429
• Keywords: Sociology and Political Science; History; Cultural Studies
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7568554
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10357823.2022.2040429
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Asian Studies Review on 06/03/2022, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10357823.2022.2040429