Combat Local Nationalism

Local nationalism was a form of narrow nationalism. Narrow nationalism here refers to the ideology and behavior of a multi-ethnic country or region, which is based only on the interests of its own nationality and separates and opposes the interests of its own nationality with those of other nationalities in the country and those of other nations. This was a narrow and exclusive form of thinking in dealing with the relationship between a nationality and other nationalities, and usually refers to the nationalism among ethnic groups or small nationalities.

The term "narrow nationalism" is used in the “Common Programme of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference” and the “Program for the Implementation of Regional Ethnic Autonomy of the People's Republic of China”.

The “Constitution of the People's Republic of China” in 1954 changed the term "narrow nationalism" to "local nationalism". Local nationalists were those who serve the interests of narrow individuals, small groups, their own localities and nationalities at the expense of the interests of the whole society and other brotherly nationalities, and its main features were: over-emphasis on the special situation of the nation, inability to see the overall interests of the country and the long-term interests of the nation, inability to see the future of the development of the nation, unwillingness to accept the beneficial experience and help of other nationalities .

In China, it referred to the tendency of some members of ethnic minorities to be suspicious of, distrustful of, or even antagonistic to, and reject the Han Chinese. It was an ideology that is not conducive to the unification of the motherland family. Its emergence had certain historical and social roots. On the basis of opposing grand nationalism and local nationalism, the national unity of China will continue to be strengthened.

On April 25, 1956, Mao Zedong said in his “On Ten Major Relationships” about the relationship between Han and ethnic minorities: "We put the emphasis on opposing Han chauvinism. Local-nationality chauvinism must be opposed too, but generally that is not where our emphasis lies.” This is because as long as we overcome Han chauvinism, local nationalism will be easier to overcome. However, local nationalism should not be taken lightly, and we should be especially wary of the tendency of national division under the influence of foreign aggressive forces.