Chinese nationalism in renewed spotlight after online attacks on bottled water firm, Nobel Prize-winning author

“One difference is perhaps how the claims of “ru hua” (meaning “an insult to China”) have become, as shown by these recent cases. Mo Yan is not known to be critical of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), and the accusations against Nongfu Spring are just far-fetched and silly,” said Assoc Prof Yew.

Mo Yan, after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, faced criticism for being too close to the Chinese government. Several rights activists and fellow writers rebuked him, saying he was unworthy of the prize.

Professor Daniel Vukovich from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) pointed out how Mo Yan, instead of being criticised for not being a dissident, is now being criticised online for being too much like one.

“Part of what makes his work special is actually that he does question … taken-for-granted knowledge of what life is or was like in the countryside during the red and later decades. This is not unpatriotic or anti-China – if anything it’s the opposite,” Prof Vukovich added.

Meanwhile, questions have also been raised over the motivation of these self-proclaimed nationalists, and whether profit is a factor.

China Digital Times, a US-based news website covering China, reported on Mar 13 that Wu Wanzheng, the blogger who filed the lawsuit against Mo Yan, had launched a paid subscription service starting from 50 yuan a month. 

According to the report, Mr Wu had also opened his own Weibo store and started bringing in goods. Besides these, the blogger had also opened a “blogger’s special” subscription on several platforms, including paid columns.

In another case, Al Jazeera reported earlier this month that a Chinese vlogger was criticised for using patriotism to make a profit from his content. 

The vlogger had claimed New Year decorations on a shopping mall in Nanjing were nationalistic Japanese motifs, which sparked controversy online. State media CCTV then posted an article criticising the vlogger’s claims, which was titled “Patriotism is not a business, reports should come with evidence”. 

POPULIST NATIONALISM?

In the case of Mo Yan, while HKU’s Prof Vukovich believes the author’s reputation and livelihood are not going to be affected by this recent incident, he pointed out that many people do seem more patriotic and proud to be Chinese than in the 1990s. 

“So now (Mo Yan’s) perceived views of the Party and nation may seem more weak than they did to his liberal critics abroad or in China in years gone by.”

In the case of Nongfu Spring, while framing it as an expression of “intense nationalism”, Prof Vukovich argued that it “refers as much to populism … as to nationalism”.

“Populism has not weakened since the 90s, but if anything has grown … so now you have populist dynamics within nationalism or within Chinese political culture, and this can be good or bad depending on your view, and depending on what it is reacting to,” he added. 

Prof Vukovich pointed out that a possible trigger for nationalistic ire could have been the optics of Nongfu Spring’s founder being a Chinese national while his son is an American citizen.

“Zhong Shanshan is the wealthiest man in China … and his son, who will presumably inherit his entire fortune, is a US citizen.  How does this look for China? Not good at all.”