“Nationalism can not only worsen ethnic relations within the state, but it can also spill over borders and increase the likelihood of 'an international conflict' (Downs and Saunders, 1998/99: 115).IntroductionNationalism has become a major part of the Chinese Communist Party's agenda for success and maintenance of power as it struggles to maintain its legitimacy in China. Nationalism also shapes China's international relations to some extent. This essay will first define what nationalism means to China by providing some background information to explain its rise, as well as the role that the “national humiliation” narrative plays in it. It will also discuss the role of the patriotic education system and differentiate between state and popular nationalism. This essay will then briefly mention the role nationalism plays in China's relations with Africa and Taiwan, and then provide a more detailed analysis of Chinese nationalism and its impact on China's relations with these countries. These four countries were chosen because they have a long history and relationships with China that they consider important. This essay will demonstrate that although nationalism plays an important role in China's relations with Japan and the United States, it is not the only factor determining these relations. How other states treat China and Chinese history also plays a key role in shaping China's international relations. What is nationalism? Nations are essential to understanding nationalism. Benedict Anderson defines nations as “imagined communities,” because it is impossible to know the entire population, but there is always a sense of unity and unity among members of the same nation (Anderson, 2006 : 6). Therefore, n...... middle of document...... International Security, 29(3):64-99.United States Department of State, Chronology of US China Relations, 1784-2000 [ Accessed online at - https://history.state.gov/countries/issues/china-us-relations on April 2, 2014].Zhang, Y., (2005), “Chinese nationalism and the incident of "American Spy Plane of 2001", International Studies, 42: 77 -85. Zhao, S., (1998), "State-led nationalism: the patriotic education campaign in post-Tiananmen China", Studies Communists and Postcommunists, 31(3):287-302. Zhao, S., (2004), A Nation-State by Construction: Dynamics of Modern Chinese Nationalism (California: Stanford University Press). Zheng, Y., (1999 ), Discovering Chinese Nationalism in China: Modernization, Identity, and International Relations (Cambridge University Press).Zhimin, C., (2005), Nationalism, internationalism and Chinese foreign policy' Journal of Contemporary China, 14(42):35-53.