From Political Indifference to Vehement Nationalism: Chinese Young People Negotiating the Political Self in the Internet Age

Flaring nationalism in Chinese cyberspace, especially in relation to the 2008 Olympics, constitutes a striking contrast to the normally apolitical nature of Chinese netizens’ use of the Net. Why do a political indifference and a nationalist passion coexist in Chinese cyberspace? What can this tell us about young people’s negotiation of a political self in the socio-cultural context of reform-era China? This chapter explores these questions from the netizens’ own perspectives by locating the informants’ narratives within a re-conceptualization of political participation, taking into account young people’s nationalistic sentiment and behavior in China. Like the preceding chapter, this chapter illustrates how Chinese youth employ the Internet for negotiating ‘modern’ Chinese identities.