Language in diplomacy: Chinese foreign policy discourses in the Indo-Pacific

This project aims to reveal the power of language in diplomacy and shed light onto Australian foreign policy analysis and strategic responses to China’s presence in the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific region encompasses Australia’s major trading and strategic partners. Whether Australia can continuously benefit from this region’s economic dynamism and reinforce regional order concerns our nation’s future prosperity and security. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has increasingly exerted political and economic influence in the region over the past two decades. This influence has not only been presented in various material forms, such as economic involvement and military presence; it has also been reflected in PRC’s normative engagement and more specifically, in its foreign policy language. This project will examine the discourses, narratives, and rhetoric of Chinese foreign policy regarding Australia’s presence in South China Sea and Pacific Islands. This study will innovatively employ both quantitative and qualitative research methods to map the key variables in Chinese foreign policy discourses since 2012. The findings will provide the foundation for evidence-based Australian foreign policy responses.

Funder: University of New England
Award Value: $9,160