Claim. When obligations to parents and nation conflict and cannot both be met, loyalty to the nation takes priority over filial piety to parents, because the nation encompasses the parents.
Elaboration. SMM gives the priority rule explicitly: “But there will be obligations to your parents as well as to your nation. If you are torn between these obligations and are unable to fulfill both of them simultaneously, where should your priorities lie? Between filial piety and loyalty to your nation, you should give preference to the latter. This conforms to the rule of law. The reason for this is that the nation encompasses the families and parents” (CSG 14.5, 99-67, 1978.7.23). The same logic projects upward: a person without natural parents to serve “must become a loyal patriot or saint” (CSG 14.1 §2, 197-44, 1990.01.07). The hierarchy is set by scope of love — larger-scope love can substitute for or override smaller-scope love when they conflict, never the reverse.
See also. csg-loyalty-to-god-must-precede-loyalty-to-country