Support for China’s Military Spending: Love for China or Loathing of the Western Camp?

How does nationalism affect the public attitude toward military spending? This study identifies two elements of nationalism: national pride and foreign hostility. I argue that both positively shape public support for military spending, and that foreign hostility dominates national pride in this effect. Using “China from the Ground Up” (CFGU) survey results, a unique dataset on nationalism and public sentiment regarding military spending in contemporary China, this study finds that both Chinese pride in the country and their perceptions of foreign threats are strongly and robustly correlated with endorsement of its expansive military spending. Moreover, the threat perception exhibits a greater magnitude than national pride. It contributes to the literature on nationalism and military expenditures by looking into a rising power outside the West.