Frame against the West

: transformation of the modern Chinese national identity

Abstract

This research examines the formation, contemporary characteristics, and implications of the modern Chinese national identity. By integrating constructivism with Social Identity Theory (SIT), it offers a unique framework describing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) cultivation of China’s national identity through a consistent utilisation of China as the ‘self’ and the West as the ‘other’. Based on the assessment of the development of Chinese national identity, it argues that the modern Chinese national identity is primarily politically driven and defined by a pair of contrasting images between the positive China and the negative West.

In investigating this argument, this research conducts three case studies concerning recent domestic social incidents. Together they represent different pillars of Chinese national identity, including politics, economy and culture. Backed up by the analysis of the official discourse, each case study provides a proposed national identity in the official vision, which is then tested through 40 in-depth interviews with ordinary Chinese citizens to provide a more realistic picture of Chinese society.

By synthesising the theoretical analysis and the first-hand empirical studies, this research clarifies the CCP’s overall success in interpreting modern Chinese national identity and affirms the embedded dichotomy between China and the West in the Chinese public consciousness, thereby proving the effectiveness of the SIT-inspired analytical framework. Nevertheless, the research also highlights the public’s generally apolitical stance toward national identity, revealing a tendency to conceptualise China more as a cultural entity than a political one. Additionally, the study identifies a moderate and nuanced perception of the West among certain social groups.

Date of Award	30 Jun 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Diego Muro (Supervisor) & Laura Mills (Supervisor)