Cantonese nationalism

Cantonese nationalism, sometimes known also as the Cantonia Independence Movement, refers to the advocacy and movement for the establishment of an independent or autonomous political entity in Guangdong or Cantonese-populated areas, believing that the Cantonese people form a nation and should not be subject to external jurisdiction and interference, taking pride in their own culture, history and identity.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, many individuals have proposed this idea, including Au Ku-kap [zh], a disciple of Kang Youwei (who Au later fell out with due to differences in opinions). Au proposed the idea of establishing "a Guangdong people's Guangdong" in his work New Canton. In the year 1911, the Xinhai Revolution begun at the end of October, Cantonese members of the Tongmenghui, including Chen Jiongming, Deng Keng, and Peng Ruihai, organized troops in various parts of Guangdong to launch an uprising. On November 9, Chen Jiongming's troops recaptured Huizhou and declared independence on the same day, establishing the Military Government of Guangdong Province of the Republic of China. On January 1, 1912, the Republic of China was established, and Guangdong became one of its provinces. In the early years of the Republic of China, influenced by the idea of provincial autonomy, Guangdong Province drafted the "Draft Constitution of Guangdong Province," which was passed by its provincal assembly on December 19, 1921. However, this proposal for the future planning of Guangdong Province did not receive sufficient support and was aborted due to the intervention of the Soviet Union in the Far East and the Northern Expedition of the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party.

In contemporary times, there are also some advocacies for "Cantonia Independence," which mostly comes from the Internet.^[3] Some individuals overseas have displayed flags or slogans representing the movement during demonstrations against the Chinese authorities, even taking action within China itself.^[4][5]