China’s Major Country Diplomacy: Decrypting the Concept of Great Power (Pre-Recorded)

• In Event: New Approaches to Studying Chinese Foreign Policy

Abstract

Relying on the National Role Theory (NRT), this paper develops an innovative methodological approach to explore how China constructs its role of a great power vis-à-vis the US, Russia, and multilateral international formats. The study draws on data collected from the analysis of a rich selection of video materials covering a range of important international events in 2013-2017 (including coverage of the events in the news in China, Russia, US, and some other countries and a documentary “Major powers diplomacy” released by China’s CCTV in 2017). Contrasting the narratives produced by China with those embedded into the coverage of international events in the US and Russia, the paper highlights how China’s great power role claims correspond to the role ascriptions displayed by its key international counterparts.
This paper seeks to understand complex interactions between democratic and autocratic regimes and makes two contributions to the field. First, the study generates a more nuanced understanding of China’s major/great power role claims and reflects the specifics of the changes in China’s approach to foreign policy vis-à-vis democratic and post-socialist states. Second, this paper attempts to develop an innovative methodological approach to the analysis of foreign policy narratives. By focusing on the qualitative analysis of narratives embedded into international events coverage, this study reveals how states project their role preferences and expectations in public discourses. The focus of the research is directed towards the comparative analysis of narratives conveyed through visual elements, sound, texts delivered by reporters or documentary narrators, and music. This study has important implications for understanding the ideational origins of China’s behavior and the policy-making process.

Authors

• Elizaveta Priupolina, University of Duisburg-Essen

• Maren Eilika Nele Noesselt, University of Duisburg-Essen

• Tanja Eckstein, University of Duisburg Essen