Patriotism

People wave the flags of Hong Kong and China on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront promenade in Hong Kong on 1 July 2023. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP)

No place for pan-democrats in today's Hong Kong

Political analyst Wang Qingmin notes that given the near-total power of the Chinese government over Hong Kong, perhaps Beijing can afford to show more tolerance towards the people and government of Hong Kong. This might actually encourage the moderate pan-democrats who love Hong Kong to contribute, which would also benefit mainland China.
A collage image of New York's Chinatown by Singaporean photographer and artist John Clang. (Photo: John Clang)

Should overseas Chinese be patriotic to the motherland?

Chinese people migrating overseas is a phenomenon that has occurred throughout the ages, but in history these migrants were treated with disdain and even faced execution. US academic Fei-Ling Wang looks at why one decides to leave their native land and even to become a citizen of a foreign country, and how they navigate between their chosen country and that of their ancestors.
Customers queue outside an Apple store during the first day of sale of the iPhone 15 smartphone in Beijing, China on 22 September 2023. (Andrea Verdelli/Bloomberg)

Behind Apple’s ‘insult’ of China

A photo on Apple’s customer service webpage sparked controversy in China by featuring a person with “stereotypical” Chinese looks, with slit eyes and a long braid, coming under fire for “uglifying” Chinese people. While aesthetic preferences do differ, is there something deeper under the criticism of a stranger’s looks?
Escape from the British Museum follows the story of a jade teapot, played by Xiatian Meimei, that "escaped" and encountered Chinese reporter Zhang Yong-an, played by Jianbing Guozai, in the UK.

When a Chinese teapot wants to 'escape from the British Museum'

A short video series featuring Chinese artefacts in the British Museum has gone viral on social media in China, with viewers being moved by the story of a teapot trying to go home to China. But even as critics highlight the heavy sentiment and patriotism in the series, it has prompted calls by China and other countries for the British Museum to return artefacts to their rightful owners.
People walk past the Drum Tower in Beijing, China, 5 March 2023. (Tingshu Wang/Reuters)

Chinese commentator: China’s nationalistic frenzy stems from an inferiority complex

Chinese netizens were riled into a nationalistic frenzy when free ice-cream was allegedly given to a foreigner but not a Chinese person at the Shanghai Auto Show. How could such a small incident ruffle so many feathers? Commentator Jin Jian Guo explains.
This handout picture taken and released on 11 January 2023 by the Ukranian Presidential Press Service shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paying tribute to fallen soldiers at the Field of Mars of Lychakiv Cemetery in the western city of Lviv, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Handout/Ukranian Presidential Press Service/AFP)

Taiwanese youth: What does democracy in Ukraine and Taiwan tell us?

Throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelenskyy has been seen as a champion for democracy against authoritarianism, but Taiwanese social entrepreneur and columnist Jack Huang highlights the flaws in the media’s portrayal and how it could impact the Taiwan Strait crisis.
A screen grab from a video showing a man chanting pro-Huawei slogans in an Apple store in Hanghzhou, China. Can support for China-made brands like Huawei be taken too far? (Internet)

Can Chinese patriotism sustain Huawei through tough times?

Can patriotism be taken too far in supporting Huawei or any other China-made product regardless of quality? Does Huawei even need this form of support? Zaobao’s China Desk takes a look at Huawei’s outlook, as it seems that it needs more than acts of patriotism to tide it over the difficulties it will face in the coming years.
A man and a child walk past a display for Full River Red in a cinema in Fuzhou, 25 January 2023. (CNS)

Chinese films hit it big during CNY, but is it enough to save the industry?

The Chinese film industry has released several blockbusters over the Chinese New Year period, and crowds have also returned to cinemas. However, the off-screen drama seems to be more interesting than the movies themselves, with claims of various forms of dishonest or misleading figures for ticket sales, complete with lawsuits and competition for audiences.
The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, US, 4 February 2023. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

A Chinese balloon derails US-China rapprochement

Commentator William He analyses reactions to a Chinese balloon being detected in US airspace, and US-China relations being hit by another cold snap. Are we going back to Cold War times?