ABSTRACT
There is no shortage of warnings from experts and practitioners about the dangers of nationalism in East Asia. Some examples of the sensational headlines found in print and on the Internet include “The dangers of Asian nationalism: Why Washington should be alarmed” (Heydarian, 2014); “Asia’s taste for nationalism” (Hunter, 2012); and “Asian nationalism: a ticking time bomb for the world” (Lehmann, 2013). Some commentators have compared sentiment in contemporary Asia to that found in Europe on the eve of its worst conflicts, asserting that, “contemporary Asia feels like pre-1914 Europe” ( Jiji Press, 2007). Policymakers also warn of such dangers, such as the Singaporean defense minister in 2013 who cautioned that “rising nationalism amongst individual Asian countries can be detrimental to the stability of the region”(Singapore Government News, 2013). Of course, those writing and speaking about nationalist sentiments in the region understandably respond to the comments and gestures of its political leaders. But when it comes to what average citizens think, too often they base their conclusions on country-specific and nonrepresentative evidence such as public demonstrations and opinion pieces in domestic media organizations. Surprisingly, systematic comparisons of the national feelings among Asian mass publics are relatively rare.
