The Misplaced "Apology": Rethinking China's Internet Patriotism
Online patriotism in China evolved into a broad sociopolitical phenomenon from 2003 to 2006. Although this was a period during which Sino-Japanese economic and financial relations deepened and diversified considerably, national sensitivities and historical memory remained at the forefront of the relationship. Several high-profile incidents spurred the emergence of anti-Japanese patriotism online in China, including the 2006 MIT controversy. This article examines the misplacement of context and the misinterpretation of “apology” ( daoqian ) in that controversy, which set forth different discussion agendas in the US and Chinese cyberspheres.