Zhonghua minzu
The
Chinese nation (), is a supra-ethnic term rooted in
Chinese nationalism that refers to the notion of a Chinese nationality transcending ethnic divisions, with a central identity to China as a whole. It includes peoples who have historically interacted, contributed and assimilated to various extents with Chinese civilization.
The immediate roots of the Chinese nationality lie in the
Qing Empire, a multi-ethnic empire created in the 17th century by the
Manchus. In the 19th century, a new Chinese identity was thought to be needed that would fit with Western concepts of ethnicity and nationality. Chinese nationalists such as
Sun Yat-sen planned to overthrow the Qing Empire and establish a Chinese
nation-state modelled closely after
Germany and
Japan. In the background was a fear that an overly restrictive view of the nation-state would have dissolved the Qing Empire into several different nations, which would almost definitely have allowed the Western powers to dominate China. The unifying and centralizing principles of
Japan and
Germany were considered examples China should follow, while the ethnically divided
Ottoman Empire was seen as an example of what some Chinese nationalists feared.
The term was first used by President
Yuan Shikai in 1912, shortly after the overthrow of the
Qing Empire and the founding of the
Republic of China. Facing the eminent independence of
Outer Mongolia from China, Yuan Shikai stated, "Outer Mongolia is part of
Zhonghua minzu [the Chinese nation] and has been of one family for centuries."
Sun Yat-sen also supported Yuan Shikai's viewpoint, and expanded upon its definitions by including all the ethnic groups within China. He wrote, "Some people say, after the overthrow of the Qing, we do not need nationalism anymore. Those words now are certainly wrong.... Right now we speak of the 'union of five nationalities' (
Han,
Manchu,
Mongol,
Hui and
Tibetan), but how is it our country only has five nationalities? My stand is that we should incorporate all the peoples within China into one Chinese nation...and develop the Chinese nation into a very civilized nation, only then will we no longer need nationalism."
This term has continued to be invoked and remains a powerful concept in China into the
21st century. It continues to hold use as the leaders of China need to unify into one political entity a highly diverse set of ethnic and social groups as well as to mobilize the support of
overseas Chinese in developing China.
The boundaries of
Zhonghua minzu are fuzzy but most Chinese today use the term to include all peoples within the territorial boundaries of
China along with
overseas Chinese integrated as one
national,
political,
cultural and perhaps even ideological-moral group.
Zhonghua refers to the concept of "Chinese" independently of ethnic concepts such as the
Han ethnic group and is the term for "China" used in the formal names for both the
People's Republic of China and the
Republic of China.
Minzu can be translated as either "nation" or "people." In theory, the Chinese nation includes not only the Han but also other
minority ethnic groups within China, such as the
Mongols,
Manchus,
Hmong,
Tibetans that have historically and to various degrees interacted, contributed and assimilated with the Han. However, some of these minority ethnic groups (or indeed individuals within the majority Han ethnicity) do not necessarily accept that they belong to the
Zhonghua minzu and may not regard themselves as Chinese in any sense other than in the legal and political. The history of these nations often reflects a high degree of independence, and while some have politically been a part of China for many centuries, others have only recently been integrated. In any case, their current political status does not necessarily reflect cultural and ethnic identities.
The degree and nature of the independence held to by the Tibetan people is relatively clear cut. Other groups, such as those of
South-Central and
Southwest China, including the
Miao,
Zhuang, and
Yi, may not consider themselves as
Han, yet it would be difficult to consider them politically or geographically independent from China. Even greater difficulty arises when considering groups like the
Manchus, whose cultural identity was originally quite distinct from the Han but have become tightly intertwined with the Chinese state and nation, to the extent that they have lost their ancestral language and customs, and the Han have also reciprocally adopted Manchu clothing and customs. Finally, there is also the matter that individuals within these groups will construct their own identities.
The boundaries of who is or is not a member of the Chinese nation have always been rather inconsistent. For example, whether
overseas Chinese are considered part of this Chinese nationality depends on the speaker and the context. The logic often stems from geographic location and political status--a Mongol living in the Chinese region of
Inner Mongolia would be considered by most to be part of
Zhonghua minzu, while a Mongol living in the independent state of Mongolia may not; likewise there is even a Russian minority in China who are Chinese citizens politically, and many Chinese nationalists would want them to be considered Chinese in an ideological-moral sense as well.
The concept has implications with regard to history. Now independent nation-states such as
Mongolia and
Korea complicate the conceptual boundaries of the Chinese nation with their differing interpretations of historical peoples and states. For instance,
Genghis Khan is claimed to be a "Chinese" by China (because the Mongol nationality is part of the "Chinese nation") and a "Mongolian" by Mongolia. A dispute of a similar nature has arisen over the status of the state of
Koguryo in ancient history, with the Chinese claiming it as Chinese on the grounds that much of it existed within the borders of the modern PRC and the Koreans claiming that it was Korean on ethnic grounds. Such views can result in conflicts when the claims are seen as exclusive (as the Koguryo case sometimes is), but may not when these claims are not seen as mutually exclusive as is the case with Genghis Khan.
*
Nationalities of China*
Chinese nationalism*
Han chauvinism*
List of Chinese ethnic groups*
Sinocentrism*
The War of Words Between South Korea and China Over An Ancient Kingdom: Why Both Sides Are Misguided Zhonghua minzu and the Sino-Korean controversy over the 'ownership' of ancient Koguryo.
