Greetings from Jerusalem,

Before we begin, I'd like to recommend a new report by Devin Thorne on how the Party hopes to maximize its influence over international audiences through market segmentation, or "precise communication," by creating tailor-made propaganda.

You should check out the most recent entries in David Ownby's Reading the China Dream catalog, including Peking University Professor Chen Ping's essay, "What's Wrong with America's Global Strategy."

A small request: The number of subscriptions has been growing steadily, but those are still rookie numbers. If you enjoy what you read here, please take a moment to recommend Discourse Power to your contacts, and don't forget to reference it in your own work.

I'll be out of the office next week for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Thank you for reading,

Tuvia

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“Amidst the fierce smokeless war being fought today, we can clearly see how the US and the West use coercive methods to set the agenda and wilfully manufacture their Western narrative traps …with the ultimate aim of maintaining a monopoly on global discourse”

Zhou Wen, a Marxist political economist and distinguished professor at Fudan University, asserts that “the twilight of Western discourse hegemony is inevitable.”

Excerpts:

“1492 was a watershed moment in human history. On October 12 of that year, Christopher Columbus' expedition made landfall on a small, flat island in the Americas.

“The day is observed as Columbus Day in the West as a way to remember the occasion, and the event going down in history textbooks as "Columbus' discovery of the New World." But more than 500 years later, there is a growing awareness among scholars that this narrative is a typical Western tale steeped in "Eurocentrism" 欧洲中心论.

“They have either purposefully or inadvertently overlooked the fact that the Americas were not only inhabited but also had magnificent indigenous civilizations long before Columbus showed up in an attempt to turn Columbus into a Western "totem" 图腾. The simple truth that Columbus had to use swords and cannons to carry out his invasion and conquest of the "New World" has been obfuscated in the process.

“L. S. Stavrianos writes in his book A Global History: From Prehistory to the Twenty-First Century that each epoch must write its own history. The West has been able to exercise its hegemony over international discourse power through a process of dominating and controlling the world in a way that has forged its own legitimacy and propriety from a Western-oriented view of history. It has even gone so far as to conceal its heinous acts 罪恶, such as colonization and massacres.

“Today, however, there is an inexorable trend toward a more fair and just global order. The non-Western world is becoming more aware of the false and antiquated nature of the Western narrative and conception of history as it is increasingly exposed and rectified.

“The West has attempted to distinguish Columbus as an "explorer," a "navigator," and a pioneer of "geographic discovery" by drawing on their dominant narratives and discourses, downplaying the brutal treatment of the Indians on the American continent by himself and by many more Europeans who followed his path. The true history of human civilization's development cannot be hidden in this way, and neither can the contribution of American civilizations to humanity.

“Discourse, according to some Western academics, is politics and has always been "the perfect companion 最佳伴侣 of empires." This serves as a reminder of the deceitfulness 欺骗性 and insidiousness 隐匿性 that underpin Western discourse. Columbus' purported "discovery of the New World" has revealed the essence of "Western centrism."

“The West has a monopoly on international discourse, which has grown more pronounced with the rise of the industrial revolution. Although the hegemonic "empire" has gradually shifted from the Netherlands and the British to the United States, the deceptive nature of Western discourse has persisted.

“People in the non-Western world are now more aware of the dangers of Western discourse hegemony after experiencing one Western discourse trap after another.

“In particular, as the contribution and status of more emerging market and developing countries, including China, in the international community grows, an increasing number of developing countries are beginning to look at the Western world straight in the eye 平视, rather than looking up to it 仰视. They are now daring to call Western narratives into question, such as "Columbus' discovery of the New World." Indeed, this is a positive sign for the future.

“The recent death of Queen Elizabeth II has prompted public opinion to reflect on Western colonialism once more. It has long been assumed that British civilization is the birthplace of modern civilization.

“However, this argument completely ignores the fact that this "point of origin" was preceded by a significant period of expansionism. In other words, as two sides of the same coin, the supposed "origin" of Western civilization can also be viewed as the "starting point" of Western colonial plunder 西方殖民掠夺.

“Amidst the fierce smokeless war being fought today, we can clearly see how the US and the West use coercive methods to set the agenda and wilfully manufacture their Western narrative traps.

“Likewise, we can witness how the US and the rest of the West are actively repressing non-Western discourse systems. They use a variety of methods and ploys with the ultimate aim of maintaining a monopoly on global discourse.

“Even though the US and the rest of the West are still powerful, they won't be able to "monopolize everything" forever. Accordingly, they are already living through the "twilight of the hegemonic empire."

“The world should not and will not continue to be based on the hegemony of a single country or a handful of nations because the democratization of the global order is unstoppable.

“As in the past, the US and the West continue to try to act as "colonizers" and "suzerains" in the hopes that the vast majority of developing nations will continue to be duped and swayed by them. This is comparable to a revamped edition of One Thousand and One Nights or Grimm's Fairy Tales.

“Today's world is not the world of 500 years ago, and it is not going back. The non-Western world's growing awareness and self-confidence in their ability to act as equals will hasten the collapse of the West's conceit, prejudice, and lies and reveal the truths that have been long hidden by the "definitive" 定论 Western hegemonic discourse.

“The twilight of Western discourse hegemony is inevitable. The world will finally break free of the confines imposed by Western dominion 西方主宰的画地为牢 and steer away from a society in which the strong prey on the weak 弱肉强食, as it marches on towards building a community of shared future for mankind.” (Global Times)

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“Great power competition in the Middle East has become primarily a battle over who should establish the rules and order. In essence, it is a battle for discourse power”

Yang Jiemian, Wang Jian, and Sun Degang were among the many prominent participants at the 6th Shanghai Middle East Forum on September 24, titled "China's Middle East Diplomacy and Relations with Middle Eastern Countries Under the Current Situation: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Implications."

Excerpts from the speech by Prof. Yang Jiemian, former President of the Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS) and brother to the PRC’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi:

“Our Middle East studies and research at present have still a long way to go in terms of closely integrating multiple disciplines and diverse research languages, as well as leading international discourse and public opinion.

“Going forward, national Middle Eastern studies should continue to strengthen our strategic thinking and research in the global context. In addition, they should aim to contribute to the development of a theoretical system of Major Power Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics 中国特色大国外交理论体系.

“Furthermore, Middle East studies must encourage the integration and development of political and academic theories. In order for Chinese Middle East scholars to wield greater influence over global discourse power, they must also lay a solid foundation in carefully laid-out sub-fields that can integrate with one another through cross-cutting and multidisciplinary research.

“Significant changes have occurred in the Middle East's environment as of late. Instead of the traditional question of dominance, the competitive dynamics of extraterritorial powers in the Middle East now center on competition and the struggle to win over 争夺和争取 regional states to be on their side - This has increased their strategic autonomy and flexibility.

“Although it is unstable and ephemeral in nature, the détente in relations between Middle Eastern nations has also grown to be a visible trend 突出现象 (lit. prominent phenomenon), although, many underlying contradictions and divisions remain unresolved.

“The international community has been paying less attention to the region's complex issues, such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Syrian crisis. As a result, China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Global Development Initiative (GDI), and Global Security Initiative (GSI) have become extremely valuable routes for the Middle East to break free from its current predicament and achieve development and stability.”

Excerpts from the speech by Prof. Wang Jian, director of the Institute of International Studies at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), and head of its Center for West Asian and North African Studies:

“In light of the Sino-US competition, China's Middle East diplomacy needs to be incorporated into our overall framework for our bilateral relations and the strategic rivalry.

“We must recognize in earnest that the Middle East has emerged as a new frontier for the US in its all-out competition with China, an important middle ground for it to carry out its strategic objectives.

“This will advance China's Middle East strategy toward a more comprehensive, proactive, constructive, and leading role 整体性、主动性、建设性、引领性. In the future, China should promote the implementation of GSI and GDI in the Middle East, strengthen China's soft power in the Middle East, seek and innovate the development of Asian civilizational values, and strengthen civilizational dialogue, exchange, and mutual enrichment.”

Excerpts from the speech by Prof. Sun Degang, founding director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai:

“As the world undergoes great changes unseen in a century, great-power competition in the Middle East has become primarily a battle over who should establish the rules and order. In essence, it is a battle for discourse power, which includes both political and academic discourse.

“The current cultural and power divide between the East and the West is reflected in the differences between Eastern and Western discourse. For the GSI, GDI, and BRI to be rooted in academic discourse that is down-to-earth 接地气, China's Middle East diplomatic narrative should begin at the conceptual level and gradually embed itself in the UN and other international organizations and multilateral norms through such logical procedures 逻辑演练.” (SIIS)

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“Iran’s admission to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) “will strengthen the SCO's role in global governance, expand its discourse power on global governance reforms, and promote the development of the existing international system in a more just and fair direction”

As the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to terrorize their own citizens, Xu Bu, President of the Chinese Foreign Ministry's think-tank, and Eurasia scholar Li Tianyi indulge Guancha in a make-believe world in which Tehran is a regional force for peace and stability.

Q: “What does Iran's admission to the SCO signify?”

Li Tianyi: “Iran is a large country with a population of over 80 million people and a total land area of 1.645 million square km. It is also a major natural resource power, with the world's fourth largest oil reserves, and has the Middle East's largest GDP.

“Iran's admission will undoubtedly benefit the SCO in a number of ways:

“It signifies the SCO's expansion into the Middle East and West Asia, which will help it gain more international clout.
“It will strengthen the SCO's role in global governance, expand its discourse power on global governance reforms, and promote the development of the existing international system in a more just and fair direction.
“It will promote regional economic cooperation, establish a new connectivity configuration, encourage regional energy cooperation, and open up new avenues for multilateral economic and trade cooperation among member countries.“

Q: “According to the Wall Street Journal, the SCO is the "NATO of the East," according to some observers. What are your thoughts on this? “

Xu Bu: “The SCO's expansion cannot be compared to NATO's. This analogy is a misinterpretation of the SCO, and one could even argue that it is a deliberate attempt to tarnish its name.

“The nature of the organization is the most significant distinction. SCO is a cooperative organization dedicated to non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties. It seeks mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, as well as shared development. It has grown to be the largest and most populous regional cooperation organization in the world.

“NATO, on the other hand, is the world's largest military alliance today, a Cold War product and a war machine 战争机器. Another significant difference is the organization's composition. The vast majority of SCO members are developing countries that prioritize economic development.” (Guancha)

Tuvia Gering 陶文亚 @GeringTuvia

"By joining the Shanghai Cooperation Orgnzation, Iran's foreign policy has shifted from 'neither West nor East' to 'both West and East'" - Qin Tian of CICIR with a rosy outlook on Iran's accession to one of the world's only orgs that is "free of Western countries or powers." 1/13

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“It's not about ‘decoupling,’ but rather the future of the global order”

As the US “engages in economic nationalism and trade protectionism”, writes influential political scientist Zheng Yongnian, China must lead the next wave of globalization not just for its own benefit, "but for the sake of the entire world."

Professor Zheng is the director of the Advanced Institute of Global and Contemporary China Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen).

Excerpts:

“I firmly believe that although the dependence between China and the US will diminish, it is unlikely that the two countries will completely "decouple“ 脱钩. Some Americans certainly want a total "decoupling" from China, but it is not up to the US to decide whether the two countries will "decouple," let alone those who want to see it happen.

“As long as China continues to make progress, and it doesn’t matter in what field, be it nuclear weapons, aerospace, new energy, artificial intelligence, and so on, other countries will be willing to engage it. Everything hinges on China's capacity to develop original technology and innovate.

“At the moment, China is relatively impacted in a few "bottleneck" 卡脖子 sectors. This is an undeniable fact. The US, which is at the top of the mountain, noticed how quickly China was ascending and set up obstacles all the way to the summit to prevent China from reaching it. But perhaps there is a different path to the top that we can explore 另辟蹊径 from the opposite side of the mountain.

“China does not seek hegemony and has no desire to harm the United States or the West. Unlike the US, which exports "democracy," we export to the world high-quality and affordable goods "Made in China," giving people a sense of ownership.

“Given the nature of capital, what incentive would there be for it to leave China? Not only is China's market large, but it is also politically and socially stable. Over the last 40 years, China has been one of the few, if not the only, economies in the world to achieve both sustainable economic development and social stability. As such, we should be confident that as long as China remains open enough, foreign investment will not only not leave, but will increase in volume.

“These days, Washington is pushing too hard to form alliances, itching for coalitions in any field possible (as is customary for the West). Coalitions can be an economic way for participating countries to enjoy public goods; whereas major powers are tasked with maintaining the public good, thus paying a higher price, smaller countries must pay protection money.

“The alliance's viability is dependent on the US' ability to provide public goods in a sustainable manner. During Trump's presidency, the US "left the chat" 退群, withdrawing from alliances because he believed that America was unable to protect its allies unless they paid a satisfactory protection fee.

“But there is a catch: there must be an enemy. These allies would not want to incur costs without one. And so, the US has created an enemy out of China, albeit an imaginary one.

“China not only does not pose a direct threat to those economies or countries, but it also maintains its relationship with them. After a while, they are no longer willing to cough up kickbacks.

“We are currently in the midst of a new global economic cycle, and we must decide how to steer this new phase. If in the previous wave of globalization we were an active participant, in the next wave we need to take the lead.

“Our political will is strong. While the US has engaged in economic nationalism and trade protectionism over the years, we have advocated for further liberalization and true multilateralism.

“As the world's second-largest economy, we have the material foundation as well as extensive hands-on experience, as evidenced by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta economic sphere, and the Hainan Free Trade Port, all of which are open economic zones.

“Furthermore, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is already in effect, and we have formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

“China is the only competitor in the world, in the eyes of the US, that is willing and able to challenge it. However, we must be clear that our objective is to continue to advance globalization, not to overthrow the US, and that we have the ability and the willingness to spearhead the next wave of globalization.

“That is why, when the US engages in "decoupling," we are vehemently opposed to it. When the US tries to push us off the mountain, we have to let them know that the mountain is not theirs, but rather belongs to the entire world and that our contribution to the mountain will continue to grow from strength to strength.

“It's not about "decoupling," but rather the future of the global order. As the world's second-largest economy, China must provide more and better international public goods to the international community while also cooperating with other countries to reduce negative international public goods. We must lead globalization not only for our own benefit but also for the sake of the entire world.” (Global Times)

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Playing in the Background

Discourse Power is written by Tuvia Gering, a researcher at the Israel-China Policy Center at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, and a Tikvah’s Krauthammer Fellow, specializing in Chinese security and foreign policy, and emergency and disaster management. Any views expressed in this newsletter, as well as any errors, are solely those of the author. Follow Tuvia on Twitter @GeringTuvia

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Discourse Power | October 6, 2022