In recent years, Wuzhen, a Ming-Qing style water town located south of the Yangtze River, has quickly become one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. The success of Wuzhen was so influential that the te...In recent years, Wuzhen, a Ming-Qing style water town located south of the Yangtze River, has quickly become one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. The success of Wuzhen was so influential that the term "Wuzhen Model" quickly became a buzzword in Chinese economic and cultural discourses. Promoters of Wuzhen have claimed that it embodies both tradition and modernity, therefore representing the best of China. While Wuzhen was first reconstructed as a "living museum" of Chinese cultural tradition to attract tourists, it increasingly started to claim itself as a leading "smart town" for China's future development. Moreover, the so-called Wuzhen Model fits seamlessly into China's overall strategy of projecting its soft power both domestically and abroad. The purpose of this paper is to examine how Wuzhen was culturally constructed and how it helped to project China's soft power. It also examines how Wuzhen was perceived abroad, focusing primarily on major English-speaking countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to understand its impact on China's soft power,展开更多
After assuming the Chinese presidency in March 2013, Xi Jinping introduced the new political slogan "the Chinese Dream," which he does not only address to the domestic audience but also aims to promote to the world....After assuming the Chinese presidency in March 2013, Xi Jinping introduced the new political slogan "the Chinese Dream," which he does not only address to the domestic audience but also aims to promote to the world. Since his inaugural trip abroad, Xi has repeatedly speeches when addressing international catchphrase received as much appeal as used the term "Chinese Dream" in his audiences. However, nowhere has the in Africa. Simultaneously, African academics and other interested parties have observed the promotion of the idea of an African Dream by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with great suspicion as they view it simply as a projection of China's own foreign policy onto Africa. But what do the Chinese Dream and African Dream actually mean? How can we make sense out of these terms? In order to decode or demystify the meaning behind the Chinese Dream narrative in the context of China's foreign policy, this paper argues that it is essential to examine how it is constructed and projected to the international audience, in particular to Africa. The Chinese Dream is understood as a narrative which is strategically used by the CCP in order to shape perceptions and behavior of other international actors according to their own agenda. Moreover, the dynamic interactions between the media and politics and how they impinge on the formation and projection of the Chinese Dream and African Dream narrative will also be taken into account.展开更多
文摘In recent years, Wuzhen, a Ming-Qing style water town located south of the Yangtze River, has quickly become one of the most popular tourist destinations in China. The success of Wuzhen was so influential that the term "Wuzhen Model" quickly became a buzzword in Chinese economic and cultural discourses. Promoters of Wuzhen have claimed that it embodies both tradition and modernity, therefore representing the best of China. While Wuzhen was first reconstructed as a "living museum" of Chinese cultural tradition to attract tourists, it increasingly started to claim itself as a leading "smart town" for China's future development. Moreover, the so-called Wuzhen Model fits seamlessly into China's overall strategy of projecting its soft power both domestically and abroad. The purpose of this paper is to examine how Wuzhen was culturally constructed and how it helped to project China's soft power. It also examines how Wuzhen was perceived abroad, focusing primarily on major English-speaking countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, to understand its impact on China's soft power,
文摘After assuming the Chinese presidency in March 2013, Xi Jinping introduced the new political slogan "the Chinese Dream," which he does not only address to the domestic audience but also aims to promote to the world. Since his inaugural trip abroad, Xi has repeatedly speeches when addressing international catchphrase received as much appeal as used the term "Chinese Dream" in his audiences. However, nowhere has the in Africa. Simultaneously, African academics and other interested parties have observed the promotion of the idea of an African Dream by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with great suspicion as they view it simply as a projection of China's own foreign policy onto Africa. But what do the Chinese Dream and African Dream actually mean? How can we make sense out of these terms? In order to decode or demystify the meaning behind the Chinese Dream narrative in the context of China's foreign policy, this paper argues that it is essential to examine how it is constructed and projected to the international audience, in particular to Africa. The Chinese Dream is understood as a narrative which is strategically used by the CCP in order to shape perceptions and behavior of other international actors according to their own agenda. Moreover, the dynamic interactions between the media and politics and how they impinge on the formation and projection of the Chinese Dream and African Dream narrative will also be taken into account.