Declining Chinese Nationalism: Evidence Based on Internet Search Query Data

Abstract

While many scholars have done research on Chinese nationalism, more rigorously collected time-series data are needed to measure its nationwide change. Based on Google Trends and Baidu search results from January 2011 to December 2023, this study creatively created high-frequency monthly times series data to measure Chinese nationalism. By employing the Hodrick-Prescott filter, this study finds that the trend of Chinese nationalism has generally declined since 2018 or even earlier. The implication is that even if Chinese nationalism rises, it is primarily driven by short-term factors. At the same time, starting from late 2020, when China faced increased isolation from the global community, individuals outside of China may unintentionally amplify the scope of Chinese nationalism. While this study makes significant and original contributions to studies on Chinese nationalism, it also serves as a starting point for more quantitative (time-series) research in the future.