The boundary setting of Chinese netizens’ citizenship identity

Social media responses to the Regulations of the PRC on the Administration of Permanent Residence of Foreigners

Bibliographic Data

ID7309970
AuthorsZhonghua Guo (0000-0003-0942-7513, Nanjing University, corresponding author), Zhuozhao Tao (Sun Yat-sen University)
Year2023
Volume9
Issue1
Pages104-129
Publication date2023-01-18
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Chinese Governance (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2381-2354 • E-ISSN: 2381-2346
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23812346.2023.2166561
OpenAlexW4317387904
LanguageEN
Citations received16
References cited53

Since Reform and Opening Up, the Chinese government has been under pressure regarding policy on the residence of foreign migrants to the country. In response, the Chinese government released a document entitled the Regulations of the PRC on the Administration of Permanent Residence of Foreigners in February 2020, which has roused fierce social opposition, as reflected in Chinese netizens' attitudes towards foreign immigrants and citizenship identity. Based on online discussions in the Zhihu community, in this paper, we investigated the exclusive and inclusive boundaries of Chinese netizens' citizenship identity through quantitative and thematic textual analyses. The exclusive boundary includes racial and historical discourses that raise insurmountable walls between Chinese people and foreign immigrants, while the inclusive boundary is reflected in citizenship rights and access criteria. The issues of 'super-national treatment' (privileges enjoyed by foreign nationals with permanent Chinese residency) and 'low access criteria' (the relative ease with which foreign immigrants can obtain permanent residence in China) for foreign immigrants have weakened the openness of the inclusive boundary, causing netizens who were once willing to accept foreign immigrants to oppose the presence of non-native groups in the country. This study deepens our understanding of Chinese netizens' citizenship identity and contributes to citizenship identity theory

Administration (probate law · Aesthetics · Art · Boundary (topology · Citizenship · Identity (music · Political science · Residence · Social media · Sociology · Asian Culture and Media Studies · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Gender Studies · Law · Philippine History and Culture

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