Recently, public opinion makers in the West have increasingly used the term "nationalism" to describe China, but many people can hardly understand what their motive is. A minority of the Chinese people have also followed suit, making this issue even more incomprehensible.

Nationalism is a political term. Generally speaking, the contemporary connotation of nationalism is quite obscure and somewhat similar to patriotism. However, patriotism is a positive term while nationalism is a negative one in every sense.

The concept of nationalism has an academic interpretation related to the long course of history. Nonetheless, when used by Chinese and foreign public opinion today, it refers to sentiments that have gone beyond patriotism, with more intensity and aggressiveness. In fact, nationalism can be found in almost every country as long as it is engaged in international competition. China is not an exception, but the question is, given the fact that there are few exceptions, why do some countries level severe accusations at China?

Some Westerners hold the view that nationalism is more substantial than communism in China's ideology. Nevertheless, in this way they have recreated the connotation of the term and linked it with China solely.

It seems that China is doomed to be unjustly condemned because the Western world has saddled nationalism on China no matter how the latter performs.

The frequent visits by Japanese government officials to the Yasukuni Shrine and the violent looting and arson during Vietnam's anti-China riots in May exposed fierce nationalism in the two nations. And South Korea and Japan are more conscious of economic self-protectionism compared with China, one of the most open markets in Asia.

China is an energetic participator and promoter of globalization and its people respect differences without seeking to export their specific elements and symbols. We keep a modest attitude toward every civilization and do not have a strong sense of superiority like the US and Europe.

The rise of China has sparked a sense of panic across the Western world, which is actually a typical kind of nationalism. When such sentiments increasingly infiltrate Washington's foreign policy, new elements, though hidden, will contribute to the instability of the international community.

Nationalism exists in Chinese society but exerts limited influence on the society. Peaceful development is not only a common aspiration but also a tenet of the Chinese people. We are devout believers in win-win progress and regard the zero-sum game as too unscrupulous to lead to success.

By and large, nationalism should be viewed as an outdated concept and haggling over it is silly and boring. We cannot exaggerate its role in social development.