Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

This paper emerged from questions regarding the online nationalism in East Asia. Have discourses related to nationalism in cyber space lead to cosmopolitanism by blurring the boundaries of states or the return to the modern nation-state era? Why does online nationalism in East Asia appear in radical and intensified form with exclusive attitudes? To explore characters and fundamental causes of online nationalism in East Asia, this paper looks deep into the Tzu-yu case among China, Taiwan, and Korea applying comparative historical analysis and analysis of mass media and social media. This paper examines the characteristics of online nationalism in China and Taiwan. Online nationalism in China shows self-centered and defensive features; on the other hand, Taiwan’s was molded in the relationships with China. Considering these features, online nationalism in East Asia has a tendency to strengthen national identity internally, at the same time, to show exclusive attitudes toward their opponents. This paper ultimately argues that the online public sphere can play the role of intensifying nationalism in East Asia, and this nationalism can act as the tool by people who still want benefits from such controversies of nationalism.