China: reflections on national identity and resilience
- By Einar Tangen
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 4, 2016
Social, like individual resilience, refers to the ability to cope with stressful situations and remain on course. It is also the means by which leaders are able to make difficult short and long term decisions, which often delay immediate gratification, in favor of the nation's long term interests.
As China goes forward, it will need a strong sense of collective social resilience to overcome its internal growing pains, as well as adverse conditions beyond its control.
The key to developing strong collective social resilience, is a strong sense of shared identity. To date, China's leadership has been actively promoting a shared Chinese identity, both at home and abroad.
At home, Xi's "Chinese Dream," anti-corruption drive, social reforms and Confucian values promotion, have been aimed at creating a framework for a positive shared Chinese cultural identity. An identity is essential to developing the collective social resilience necessary to allow the government to pursue the difficult tasks of changing China's economic engine to avoid the looming "middle income trap."
Abroad, China's posture on territorial disputes, trade negotiations, global philanthropy, citizen and maritime protection, have clearly signaled Beijing's determination to be independent. It has also been a strong signal, like China's military parade, that China's "century of humiliation" is over, that its citizens abroad will be afforded protections, similar to those offered by other world powers.
The effects of these policies are still in play, but it is clear they will impact the sense of China's national identity and collective resilience. As the CPPCC and NPC meet, expect more measures and suggestions on these issues.
For those interested, there will be a one day follow-up conference on April 11, which examines social resilience in China, using Israel as a case study comparison, jointly sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Institute of Public Safety Research, Tsinghua University, Samuel Neaman Institute, Technion Israel Institute of Technology and DGI.
Einar Tangen is now an economic and political affairs author and commentator.
Opinion article reflected the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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