London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

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.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
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”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×