Andrew Chubb - Chinese nationalism and the South China Seas disputes: Causes and consequences
| Dates: | 19 April 2023 |
|---|
| Times: | 16:30 - 18:00 |
|---|
| What is it: | Talk |
|---|
| Organiser: | Manchester China Institute |
|---|
| How much: | Free |
|---|
| Speaker: | Dr. Andrew Chubb |
|---|
|
Oddfellows Hall
In this talk, Dr Chubb will expand on research which traces the rise of Chinese popular nationalist attitudes and actions towards the South China Sea disputes. Extensive literature on nationalism in contemporary China has generally concentrated on its manifestations in relation to Japan, the United States, or the “West” in general. While this is understandable given the prominence of former imperialist powers as foils for China’s contemporary state-sanctioned national identity, it has left a dearth of accounts of Chinese nationalism in relation to its Southeast Asian neighbors.
This talk will analyse original 2013 survey data on urban residents’ perceptions of the South China Sea dispute, internet search activity data stretching back to 2006, and quasi-ethnographic observation of online discourse. The analysis shows, first, that Beijing’s more confrontational policy in the South China Sea was a key cause of intensified Chinese public sentiments on the issue. This largely unintended effect generated significant new challenges to the party-state’s control of public opinion. The case shows how the Internet reduced the CCP propaganda state’s ability to frame domestic interpretations of foreign policy developments, but retains decisive agenda-setting influence over the issue’s salience. These findings provide theoretical insight into the causes of nationalism and the socio-political consequences of network technology under authoritarian regimes.
Speaker
Dr. Andrew Chubb
Role: Senior Lecturer
Organisation: Lancaster University
Biography: Andrew Chubb is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion. A graduate of the University of Western Australia, his work examines the linkages between Chinese domestic politics and international relations. More broadly, Andrew's interests include maritime and territorial disputes, strategic communication, political propaganda, and Chinese Communist Party history. Andrew is the author of Chinese Nationalism and the Gray Zone: Case Analyses of Public Opinion and PRC Foreign Policy (Naval War College Press, 2021) and the PRC Overseas Political Activities: Risk, Reaction and the Case of Australia (Routledge and Royal United Services Institute, 2021)
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
Boardroom
Oddfellows Hall
Manchester
