Yu Ying-shih says that the complementary relationship between nationalism and the intellectuals enabled the rise of the CPC: "Nationalist sentiments were shared by all, but it was the intellectuals, who functioned as society's conscience, that really took nationalism to heart."
余英時就說，中國共產黨的興起，有賴於「民族主義」與「知識分子」兩股相互結合的力量：「民族情緒雖然是人人所共有的，但仍以知識分子對此感受最為深刻，因為他們代表了社會良知。」