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Sinocentricism and the National Question in China

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Nations and their Histories

Abstract

Ethnonationalist forces held in check during the Cold War re-emerged with raucous consequences that have altered the political map of the world. Ongoing conflicts are predominantly ethnonationalist wars waged by ‘nations’ against ‘states’ in a struggle to reconcile state and national identity (see, Nietschmann, 1987). Such movements claim ‘nationhood’ based on historical, cultural and linguistic characteristics. The re-emergence of such ethnonationalist movements has made relevant again a discussion of the national question in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This chapter analyses China’s discourse on the national question within a broad historical context and shows how an underlying sinocentricism (Huaxia zhongxin zhuyi) has informed Chinese views of the national question and China’s national identity despite different ideological and political affinities.

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Authors
  1. Eric Hyer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

    Susana Carvalho

  2. Centre for Ethnic and Migration Studies, University of Liège, Belgium

    François Gemenne

  3. Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, Sciences Po, Paris, France

    François Gemenne

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© 2009 Eric Hyer

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Hyer, E. (2009). Sinocentricism and the National Question in China. In: Carvalho, S., Gemenne, F. (eds) Nations and their Histories. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230245273_16

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