When people speak of patriotism, they tend to think of war and of deeds on the battlefield. But even in peacetime, patriotism can actually be found in every facet of life. More than simply an idea, patriotism is an action. Today, as China faces serious difficulties and challenges both domestic and international, active consumption is a form of patriotism...
...Consumption is an inherent requirement of economic development and is crucial for the national economy. Marx pointed out, "Production is thus at the same time consumption, and consumption is at the same time production....Without production there is no consumption, but without consumption there is no production either, since in that case production would be useless."* On the one hand, only through consumption do products thus produced become real commodities, and only through consumption can commodities realize their value. On the other, consumption can generate new demand and new motivations for production.
We elevate consumption to the level of patriotism because broadening consumption is particularly important for China's economic development right now.
The preceding is from an op-ed in Xinhua's Outlook Weekly. (Translation via Danwei.) Although I doubt that patriotism will give consumers the confidence needed to spend, it could very well help give cover to very unhelpful protectionist measures. (Here is one example from the UK.)
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