Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea

This paper investigates these questions from the perspective of official Chinese discourses related to the South China Sea dispute. Beginning with the key assumption that what matters more to understanding how the Chinese view the international order is not what they say but how they say it, this ar...

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Main Authors: Grandpierron Matthieu, Pomès Eric
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Serbian Sociological Association, Belgrade 2025-01-01
Series:Sociološki Pregled
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Online Access:https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0085-6320/2025/0085-63202501219G.pdf
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author Grandpierron Matthieu
Pomès Eric
author_facet Grandpierron Matthieu
Pomès Eric
author_sort Grandpierron Matthieu
collection DOAJ
description This paper investigates these questions from the perspective of official Chinese discourses related to the South China Sea dispute. Beginning with the key assumption that what matters more to understanding how the Chinese view the international order is not what they say but how they say it, this article uses a mixed-method approach to critical discourse analysis in order to unpack the implicit meanings of official Chinese narratives. The quantitative analysis of these speeches reveals that emotions (humiliation, anger, and feelings of superiority) are important, along with the political use of history to create narratives aiming to legitimize China's desire to remove the United States from the management of Asia-Pacific issues. The paper will also show that while the Chinese discourse remains the same under all US administrations, the Chinese legal discourse has fluctuated as the dispute has evolved. Such findings provide a better understanding of Chinese political communication on international law and on the present international order.
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publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Serbian Sociological Association, Belgrade
record_format Article
series Sociološki Pregled
spelling doaj-art-eafe79ddf4df48058bd49eea98b4d0002025-08-20T03:49:32ZengSerbian Sociological Association, BelgradeSociološki Pregled0085-63202560-48802025-01-0159121925510.5937/socpreg59-547160085-63202501219GCommunicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China SeaGrandpierron Matthieu0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2465-2455Pomès Eric1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0276-6208Catholic University of Vendée, ICES, Vendée, FranceCatholic University of Vendée, ICES, Vendée, FranceThis paper investigates these questions from the perspective of official Chinese discourses related to the South China Sea dispute. Beginning with the key assumption that what matters more to understanding how the Chinese view the international order is not what they say but how they say it, this article uses a mixed-method approach to critical discourse analysis in order to unpack the implicit meanings of official Chinese narratives. The quantitative analysis of these speeches reveals that emotions (humiliation, anger, and feelings of superiority) are important, along with the political use of history to create narratives aiming to legitimize China's desire to remove the United States from the management of Asia-Pacific issues. The paper will also show that while the Chinese discourse remains the same under all US administrations, the Chinese legal discourse has fluctuated as the dispute has evolved. Such findings provide a better understanding of Chinese political communication on international law and on the present international order.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0085-6320/2025/0085-63202501219G.pdfsino-u.s. rivalrysouth china seamixed-method discourse analysisemotionslegal discourseshistorycommunication
spellingShingle Grandpierron Matthieu
Pomès Eric
Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea
Sociološki Pregled
sino-u.s. rivalry
south china sea
mixed-method discourse analysis
emotions
legal discourses
history
communication
title Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea
title_full Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea
title_fullStr Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea
title_full_unstemmed Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea
title_short Communicating dissatisfaction over international norms: Unpacking Chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the US in the South China Sea
title_sort communicating dissatisfaction over international norms unpacking chinese international discursive strategy to oppose the us in the south china sea
topic sino-u.s. rivalry
south china sea
mixed-method discourse analysis
emotions
legal discourses
history
communication
url https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0085-6320/2025/0085-63202501219G.pdf
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