The Rise of Civic Nationalism: Shifting Identities in Hong Kong and Taiwan

• Main Author: Justin P. Kwan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National Sun Yat-sen University 2016-09-01
• Series: Contemporary Chinese Political Economy and Strategic Relations: An International Journal
• Subjects: Hong Kong; Umbrella Movement; Taiwan; Sunflower Movement; political identities; civic nationalism; social movements
• Online Access: http://icaps.nsysu.edu.tw/var/file/131/1131/img/2375/CCPS2(2)-Kwan.pdf

The rise of civic nationalism in both Hong Kong and Taiwan indicates a prominence of democratic liberal values which are contributing to the further rejection of an ethnonational Chinese identity imposed by Beijing. Using the 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong and the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan as case studies, this paper examines how the rise of civic nationalism is furthering the nation-building project of Hong Kong and Taiwanese identities. Following a comparison between the Umbrella Movement and the Sunflower Movement in terms of the sequence of events, the paper identifies the impact of the movements on both societies through an examination of the successes and failures of each movement, the rise of new political forces and party politics, as well as political institutions. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of the widening identity gap of Hong Kong and Taiwan from China.