Mainstream IR Theoretical Perspectives and Rising China Vis-À-Vis the West: The Logic of Conquest, Conversion and Socialisation

By employing discourse-historical approach and corpus linguistics, this paper examines media reports to analyze the Chinese official discourse in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak. The results demonstrate that a paradox of globalism and nationalism has been simultaneously reflected when reporting the global pandemic. Based on a polarizing discursive construction of positive "self" and negative "others," on many occasions, the globalist and nationalist arguments have been closely intertwined and complement each other to reinforce the legitimacy of the ruling party at home and the international reputation of China under the leadership of the ruling party.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Globalism or Nationalism? The Paradox of Chinese Official Discourse in the Context of the COVID-19 Outbreak

Yang

Chen

2020

“…Following an exploratory analysis, three cohorts with distinct identities, capabilities and positions within the national bargaining game -the media ecology, business elites and foreign policy establishment-were identified. 8 The theoretical framework was subsequently applied in two steps, meant to evaluate its predictive and explanatory power [17,69]. The first step hypothesized the narrative's effects, based on a theory-informed comparison between China's intentions and the contents of the B&R narrative, and the characteristics of Dutch case and its constituent cohorts.…”

Section: Methodology and Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, it neither question the origins of these dilemma's, nor takes into account China's role in co-producing this state of affairs. 1 According to the socialization-paradigm, economic engagement and the growth of the middle class and civil society would naturally result in socio-political reforms [8,68]. 2 The new strategy was requested in May of 2018 as a replacement for the 2013 China-note "Investing in Values and Business".…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discourse Power as a Means to ‘Struggle for Position’: a Critical Case Study of the Belt and Road Narrative’s Effects on Foreign Policy Formulation in the Netherlands

Langendonk

2020

This article investigates China's use of strategic narratives to facilitate its geopolitical return, through a critical case study of the Belt and Road narrative's effects on foreign policy formulation in the Netherlands. Departing from postmodern critiques of the traditional Western approach to soft power and Chinese elites' conceptualization of the Belt and Road as a means to contest the West's discursive hegemony, it initially proposes a theoretical framework meant to identify co-optive processes resulting from the narrative's reception. It subsequently tests this framework, which combines the strategic narrative strand of constructivist soft power theory with Gallarotti's concept of 'bargaining spaces' to structure the analysis, on the the Netherlands' in the context of its recent revision of its China policy. By connecting elements of the narrative with co-optive processes found to occur within three subnational cohorts (business, media ecology, and foreign policy establishment), it highlights that Western countries may be more susceptible to non-coercive Chinese influence than is conventionally thought. In terms of a theoretical contribution, the article demonstrates that a decentred and outcome-oriented approach to narratives like the Belt and Road may enhance understanding of the mechanisms underlying China's ability to use rhetorical strategy to tilt political battlefields to its favor.

“…In contemporary studies of Chinese diplomacy, research methods from multiple perspectives has been examined and adopted. Young Chul Cho & Yih-Jye Hwang ( [38]: 175) criticized the mainstream international relations approaches (realism, liberalism, and constructivism) that serve the US/Western hegemony for not providing value-free explanations when analyzing China's rise. In addition, Cai Kevin G. ( [8], p. 355) warned that excessive emphasis on the role of traditional security may be accompanied by risks.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role and Logic of Nontraditional Security in China’s Engagement in Global Governance Mechanisms under Xi Jinping’s Regime

Liu

2020

With the emergence of a series of global security incidents, scholars and observers have placed increasing importance on nontraditional security (NTS). Since 2012, Xi Jinping's regime has emphasized NTS issues and cooperation, which begs the question "What is the role of NTS in China's foreign policy, and how is it shaped?" This study analyzes articles that include the term "nontraditional security" ("非传统安全") in The People's Daily newspaper since its first mention in 2001. Focusing particularly on the period between 2012 and 2019, the study explains China's securitization process and its motivations toward NTS issues. By analyzing case studies of the NTS issues of terrorism, environmental issues, and cybersecurity, and further summarizing the logic in common behind the Chinese government's process of securitizing NTS issues, this paper highlights the correlation between the characteristics of China's NTS and China's major foreign policy initiatives that play an active role in leading international efforts to enhance global governance and exploring new models of cooperation. Based on an analysis of China's emphasis on promotion of NTS and provision of public goods, I argue that NTS has played an increasingly important role in China's pursuit of greater influence in global governance mechanisms.