Language and symbols in the Chinese political discursive space

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the article is due to the increased importance of the People’s Republic of China in the modern geopolitical space. At the moment, the need for high-quality research on “China and the World”, “China and Asia”, etc. is increasing due to the expansion of cooperation between regional centers and the PRC in matters of culture, economics and education. Therefore, in order to better understand the partner and prepare joint projects, it is necessary to study the peculiarities of Chinese political discourse. Purpose. The purpose of the study is an in-depth analysis of Chinese political discourse to identify symbolic constructs that influence Chinese society. The author has set himself the task of studying the socio-political discourse of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), focusing on specific linguistic constructions (political slogans, phraseological units, chengyuev) broadcast in the media and their symbolic meaning. The research is aimed at identifying the links between these sign systems and the political narratives being formed, with special attention to the specifics of their functioning in the Chinese linguistic context. Methods. The methodological basis of the research is the discourse analysis of political texts, supplemented by procedures for processing and interpreting empirical data. The empirical basis of the study consists of data obtained from social networks (mainly Chinese, WeChat), specialized scientific works in the field of political communication (works by P. Lazarsfeld, W. Lippman, etc.) and Sinology, as well as materials published in periodicals and mass media (People’s Daily, Huanqiu shibao, newspaper “World News”, BBC News). Results. The author’s «scheme» of linguistic symbols and phraseological units, which are systematically used to create a positive image of the Chinese people and the state in the international arena, is presented. The semiotic codes that form the image of the PRC as a state deeply rooted in its thousand-year history and culture, as well as characterized by a high level of diligence, have been identified. Conclusions. The article proves the need to revise the strategy of “soft power” used by the PRC, due to its insufficient effectiveness in the context of a globalizing media space and the growing influence of Western culture. The author comes to the conclusion that the traditional orientation towards maintaining the status of an “empire”, despite its uniqueness, does not provide adequate influence on European and Asian states.