Far from being 「an empty construct」, as you suggest, it is fundamental to understanding the nature of China - the state, the idea of unity, the notion of race, the sense of identity and much else.
这与您所说的「空洞建构」相去甚远,这是理解中国本质的基础所在——理解这个国家、其团结的理念、其种族的概念、其身份认同感以及其他许多事情。