Salvatore Babones returns with another episode of On Liberty, to discuss the rise of nationalism amongst China’s youth with Yun Jiang, inaugural China Matters Fellow at the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
China’s youths have become more nationalistic, especially compared to the previous generation. Many outside China attribute the increasing nationalism to the Communist Party of China (CPC)’s patriotic education campaign as well as its control of information in China.
According to Yun Jiang, it would be wrong to see this rising nationalism as purely a result of brainwashing, instead, that is just one of many factors. The current generation of middle-class millennials have grown up during an era in which China has become more prosperous and powerful. Therefore, for them, especially those living in big cities of Shanghai or Shenzhen, they feel greater pride in China’s achievements.
Does the growing nationalism bolster Xi Jinping’s power? What does this mean for the future of China’s Communist political system? Are younger Chinese men and women willing to embrace western ideals?