In the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, they and the nation are two in one.  Love your country means love the party and in hierarchy the party is above the nation because 'without the Chinese Communist Party, there is no new China' as they always say.  That part is correct because the current corrupt state of  'new' China (environment, culture, morality, trust among people and with public institutions) is the result of the brutal rule of the CCP.