Chinese Peoples and the Others

The May Fourth Movement (1917-1921) has always been an important part of the official historical narrative of the Chinese Communist Party. Today, the Movement is often celebrated as being closely connected with the emergence of modern Chinese patriotism and nationalism in contemporary China. In the 21st century, Chinese nationalism has voiced more assertive overtones with a tendency to glorify Chinese imperial history. What is more, contemporary Chinese nationalism often adopts a negative attitude towards foreign ideas and thought trends. This article discusses the differences between contemporary Chinese nationalism and the May Fourth Movement nationalism by examining the argumentation structures wherein the concept of nationalism was used during the May Fourth period. The article shows that the concept was, in fact, given primarily a negative meaning in the May Fourth context. The article shows that, in May Fourth journals, nationalism was associated with imperialism, capitalism, and Darwinism, which were presented as destructive ideas that were responsible for the First World War. Unlike the radical Chinese nationalists of the 21st century, May Fourth authors supported a cosmopolitan spirit and international cooperation. The desire to strengthen and develop China involved dreams of creating an international operational environment based on equality and cooperation, instead of aggressive power politics.

五四运动（1917-1921）始终是中国共产党官方历史叙事的重要组成部分。如今，这场运动常被称颂为与当代中国现代爱国主义与民族主义的诞生紧密相关。21世纪以来，中国民族主义论调愈发强硬，且呈现出美化中国帝制历史的倾向。此外，当代中国民族主义往往对外国思潮与思想流派持负面态度。本文通过梳理五四运动时期民族主义概念的使用语境与论证框架，探讨当代中国民族主义与五四运动时期民族主义的差异。研究表明，在五四运动的语境中，民族主义这一概念实则主要被赋予了负面含义。本文同时指出，在五四时期的期刊中，民族主义与帝国主义、资本主义及达尔文主义绑定，而这些学说被视作引发第一次世界大战的破坏性思潮。与21世纪的激进中国民族主义者不同，五四运动时期的作者们倡导世界主义精神与国际合作。他们谋求振兴与发展中国的愿景中，包含着构建基于平等与合作的国际运作环境的构想，而非奉行咄咄逼人的强权政治。