April and May 2025 witnessed a unique graph in US – China relations oscillating from tariff wars to grudging friendship between the two. While economics exposed US vulnerability, it also resonated with a fresh wave of Chinese nationalism that was diminishing after the continued overheating of the economy. China was and is going through its own financial troubles, and tariff escalation was meant to add an insult to the injury. However, it backfired with not only the US quietly going back to its den but also with the average Chinese boosted with a new dose of Chinese nationalism.
The concept of Chinese nationalism is generally drawn from its political ideas and economic reforms firmly entrenched in its Constitution. China has gone through a massive transformation in its politics and economics, reflected in its various clarion calls of the Constitution. From the 1954 Constitution of the Mao era, which claimed that China had stood up, ‘zhongguo zhan qi lai,’ to the Deng Xiaoping era, which claimed in 1982 that China had become prosperous, ‘zhongguo fu qi lai,’ to the Constitution of 2018, which claims that China has become strong under Xi Jinping, ‘zhongguo qiang qi lai.’
In the current scenario, China has undergone some major changes both politically and economically. Politically it underwent a constitutional amendment that gave the current president of China a life term and also introduced various social security policies. China has achieved the aim of building a well-off society in 2020 and aims to achieve the goal of a modernized society in 2035 and the ‘China Dream’ in 2050. In the economic aspect, Xi has introduced supply-side structural reforms, improvements in quality of life, and a balanced economic model. In order to achieve both the political and economic targets, Xi Jinping has adopted a three-pronged strategy: targeting poverty, invoking tradition, and projecting China’s rise. Hence, China has expanded its health insurance coverage to include 90 percent of its population, relaxed the hukou (household registration system) rules for migrants, and eradicated the one-child policy, to name a few of the measures taken. In 2021, CPC celebrated its centenary year, and in 2049, China will celebrate its centenary year as the People’s Republic of China. Xi wants to avenge this 5000-year-old civilization through the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation and the Community of Common Destiny and usher in the ‘new era.’
Political Nationalism
Xi Jinping ascended to power in 2012 and since then has adopted various political and economic measures to establish and entrench his definition of Chinese nationalism. He even introduced the concept of Xi Jinping Thought, which was introduced in the Nineteenth Party Congress. Many scholars point out that Xi Jinping’s thought is quietly replacing Mao’s thought, and Lenin has also been covertly archived. Xi Jinping’s political endeavors have been myriad and intensive, advocating his establishment as the ‘supreme’ leader of China. The following measures were taken:
· Before the 2018 constitutional reform, Xi, in his very first tenure as president, adopted a blitzkrieg kind of anti-corruption campaign where ‘no tigers and flies would be spared.’ It is another matter altogether that this campaign targeted selective individuals, many of whom were aides and mentors of Xi Jinping who chose to stay beside him rather than under him. Their rejection of his suzerainty cost them their position in the party as Xi came to power.
· Xi strongly advocated for ‘rule of law,’ which implied the promotion of socialist rule of law, maintaining Party leadership as the highest force for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the ‘new era.’ In concrete terms it meant the establishment of the National Supervision Commission.
· Xi Jinping has also strongly advocated strict governance by the Party. The suzerainty of the Party and its leaders needs to remain unquestioned and unchallenged in all terms.
· Xi, as the Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has advocated the buildup of a strong military but under the Party rule. Xi famously said that the ‘party shall command the gun, and the gun shall never be allowed to command the party.’
· Xi has brought with him the concept of the China Dream, which is a clarion call for ‘national rejuvenation and nationalist mobilization. It also stands in disapproval of the Western-style economy.
Economic nationalism
Xi inherited the ‘success trap’ of the economic growth model, where double-digit growth was the expected norm and the Chinese economy was the fastest-growing economy in the world. However, after the problem of ‘overheating of the economy’ affected China seriously, Xi adopted a series to intensify the economic reforms.
· A medium growth of 5-8 percent has become the new normal in China. China has also had a transition with its shift in focus from quantitative growth to qualitative development. Despite questioning by many scholars regarding the rate of growth, China officially maintains its growth rate at 5 percent.
· Xi has advocated the new development philosophy, which is a euphemism for coordinated development of its economy, politics, society, culture, and ecology.
· Xi has also propagated ‘Four Comprehensives,’ which are a well-off society, deepening of reforms, rule of law, and strict self-governance of the party.
· In the ‘new era,’ Xi has argued for more participation of the private sector and an increase in the digitization of China with high-tech innovation.
· Xi has argued for balance between growth, equity, and sustainability with a focus on growth.
· Xi has also argued for a globalized middle class as an instrument of growth.
· Under Xi, China launched BRI, where, interestingly, China has defended international trade instead of opposing it. The only caveat is that it should happen with Chinese characteristics.
Hence, to sum up, it can be said that while Mao led a state-led economy, Deng led a state-led market economy. Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao under them turned this state-led market economy into one of the largest FDI recipient countries in the world. And Xi is now trying to make that same economy into the largest economic investor in the world.
Conclusion
China, in both its political and economic spheres, is facing numerous challenges. Problems ranging from income inequality, the urban-rural gap, regional disparity, environmental issues, ethnic alienation, infrastructure overcapacity, uneven access to housing, health, education, and local government vying for ‘political achievements’—Xi’s both hands are full. Can he galvanize these problems into achieving newer heights and forms of Chinese nationalism, or will he succumb to them? The future will tell.
