By Trefor Moss
Many countries in East Asia are facing the same dilemma: how to manage a groundswell of nationalist sentiment. It’s a delicate challenge. Giving the nationalists too little quarter could expose a government to political turmoil at home; but overindulging them could lead to conflict abroad.
Nationalism is as pressing a concern in China as in any country in the region, and the need for Beijing to cater to the nationalist sections of society is often mentioned as a factor in government decision-making. However, bellicose editorials in The Global Times – albeit sanctioned at some level of government – are not expressions of policy. Similarly, Hu Jintao was not among the boatload of Chinese campaigners who got themselves arrested on the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands last week. Perhaps the Chinese authorities could have done more to prevent the ship from sailing; but at the same time this was not a state action.
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