How strong is Chinese nationalism: evidence from a nationwide survey

Chinese nationalism has been increasingly evident and influential in China’s foreign policymaking. Based on a nationwide survey conducted in June–July 2024, this article revisits the fundamental but important question, namely, how strong Chinese nationalism is. Survey results show that respondents are generally proud of being Chinese, but only moderately believe that China is superior to other countries and that China should defend its national interests, even though doing so may hurt other countries’ interests or violate international norms. Heterogeneous effects were observed across demographic groups. Moreover, our analysis reveals a notable verbal–action gap: many respondents who score high on assertive nationalism are unwilling to bear personal economic costs, such as higher taxes, to support increased military spending. This article also discusses the implications of these findings.