China beyond China, establishing a digital order with Chinese characteristics: China's growing discursive power and the Digital Silk Road

Abstract

This article examines China's discursive power, placing it in the broader context of China's increasing assertiveness in the global arena. I argue that exporting the China model farther afield is the key for China to exert its discursive power. The mechanism to do this lies in two essential and decisive auxiliaries that "flank" China's soft discursive power: technological development/innovation and the role of the Chinese private sector. Theoretically, the study adopts a tripartite framework to examine China's discursive power: power facts, shared rules, and social practices, with the help of the "affective sticking points" to analyze China's Belt and Road Initiative and Digital Silk Road discourses. Empirically, the article investigates the case of Transsion Holdings, a Chinese giant smart-device maker in Africa, to study China's discursive influences in Africa. To conclude, I reflect on the role of the private sector and the meaning of "China beyond China."

Note from the Editors

“…Más allá del poder duro y el mundo físico, Yung‐Yung Chang (2023) explora el poder discursivo de China en un mundo digitalizado en “China más allá de China, estableciendo un orden digital con características chinas” (ver también Zeng, Stevens y Chen 2017). Este estudio exhaustivo sobre la "Ruta de la Seda Digital" de China es digno de mención tanto por su extraordinario alcance como por su análisis detallado.…”

“…将焦点从硬实力和物质世界转移到数字世界，Yung‐Yung Chang(2023)在《中国之外的中国——建立中国特色数字秩序?》一文中探究了中国在数字化世界中的话语权 (另见Zeng, Stevens, and Chen 2017)。这篇对中国“数字丝绸之路”的全面研究包含了不寻常的研究范围和详尽的分析。因此，该研究不仅会吸引对以下方面感兴趣的专业学者，包括中国模式 (例如，Hodzi and Åberg 2020; Babones 2020; Davidsson 2020; Duggan 2020)，中国海外形象的塑造 (另见Fong and Sakib 2021)，软实力的不同类型及实践，或中非关系/贸易和新兴市场 (另见Asongu 2016; Ganda 2020)。该研究还为那些对下列主题感兴趣的读者提供有用信息，这些主题包括: 数字威权主义 (另见Hellmeier 2016)、网络治理规范 (另见Glen 2021)、主权、监控技术的最新扩散、政府和社会资本合作、研发、以及中国对 “华盛顿共识” 造成的多方面挑战。…”

“…Moving beyond hard power and the physical world, Chang (2023) explores China's discursive power in a digitalized world (see also Zeng et al, 2017). This comprehensive study on China's “Digital Silk Road” is noteworthy for both its extraordinary range and detailed analysis.…”