Rise of Nationalism in Rise of Nationalism in Contemporary AsiaContemporary Asia

GUI YongtaoGUI Yongtao

July 29, 2013July 29, 2013Waseda UniversityWaseda University

August 2011, Hanoi, Chinese embassy

May 2012, Manila, Chinese embassy

August 2012, Korean President on Dokdo (Takeshima)

September 2012, Tokyo, Japanese right-wing groups

September 2012, Beijing, Japanese embassy

Rise of nationalism in Asia

China Japan South Korea Vietnam Philippines

Interdependence vs. mutual suspicion

Territorial nationalism? Two forms of territorial nationalism

– Love of homeland: national liberation– Geopolitical thought: competition for

sphere of influence (sea power, land power), lebensraum: war among great powers

Contemporary Asia– Competing for uninhabited or unknown

islands, rocks, banks, reefs– Homeland nostalgia?– Bases for power competition?

Resource nationalism?

Offshore oil and gas fishing

South Korea and Japan competing for resources?

Ordinary Vietnamese engaging in oil exploration?

Historical nationalism? Aggression and colonialism in history Historical justice and reconciliation not

realized Territory plus history

– South Korea, China: island disputes linked to history

China-Philippines?– no history issue, current relations amicable

Is the U.S. manipulating behind the scenes?

U.S. strategy of rebalancing toward Asia– China seen as geopolitical competitor– Problems not between Asian countries, but

between the U.S. and China Divergence in U.S. policy

– China-Japan dispute: non-involvement– South Korea-Japan dispute: pacifying

Balance diplomacy in Asia– Benefit and cost of introducing U.S.

influence

National dignity and national interests

Philippines, Vietnam– Equality for smaller countries

South Korea, Japan– Competition for regional influence and status

China– Respect by regional countries and no

interference by the U.S.

Symbolic meaning of individual issues– Prefer national dignity over national interests

International background

The rise of China– Asymmetrical distribution of power– Asymmetrical interdependence

Domestic background Elite nationalism

– Japan: Shintaro Ishihara– Philippines: Akbayan Citizens’ Action

Party and the president– South Korea: the president– China: growing confidence among elites

Popular nationalism– Vietnam: the youth, retired officials and

armymen, scholars, NGOs– China: the discontented mass– South Korea: the history issue

Interaction between the government and the public

Weak government, strong public participation– Surge of nationalism (South Korea)

Weak government, weak public participation– Nationalism used for short-term political

purposes (Japan, Philippines) Strong government, strong public

participation– Tension between the public and the

government (China, Vietnam)

The spiritual aspect of international relations

Nationalism is natural emotion Nationalism is irrational and harms foreign

relations

Nationalism in contemporary Asia

Sources of nationalism – Asymmetry in international order– Asymmetry in domestic society

Way forward– Mutual benefit plus mutual respect

Thank you!