Research: For a critical analysis of Chinese political discourse: A study of the articulations of multipolarity in the academic and institutional debate of the PRC in the early 2000s
PROJECT ABSTRACT:
The aim of this study is to examine the terminology used by the People's Republic of China (PRC) in outlining a new structure of international relations characterized by the process of "multipolarization" (duojihua 多极化) by identifying the characteristics and articulations that define its basic morphology. The aim is to reconstruct the multiple articulations this concept took on during the height of its debate, in the early 2000s. Although the debate on the development of multipolarization in the PRC, especially at the academic level, peaked only at the beginning of the 21st century, its scrutiny in Western academia has primarily focused on the formulations developed under Xi Jinping's leadership. However, it should be noted that many of the foreign policy visions proposed in the last twelve years are often reworkings of concepts originating during previous administrations, as with the theme of multipolarity. Indeed, in this particular case, it is not uncommon to trace ideas originating during the Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao era (2002–2012). For this reason, this research focuses on this time period, drawing on original Chinese-language sources from both academic and institutional environments. The methodological framework within which the project is based is based on the interaction of the quantitative approach of Corpus Linguistics (CL) with the qualitative approach of the Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA), a special branch of Critical Discourse Studies (CDS). Through this methodological approach, it is possible to analyze the ways in which the narrative and linguistic constructions of Chinese political discourse on the topic of multipolarity have been conveyed by experts in the field of international relations in the country, within academic research, and by key representatives of the political leadership, within institutional contexts. The ultimate goal of this examination is to achieve as comprehensive an understanding as possible of the distinctive elements that characterize the process of multipolarization, as formulated by Beijing, their diachronic evolution, the possible mutual influences and the direct consequences that this expression has entailed on the image and prestige of the country on the global stage in the early 2000s.
01/2022 – present: PhD candidate at the Italian Institute of Oriental Studies (ISO), Sapienza University of Rome (Italy)
Research project's title: For a critical analysis of Chinese political discourse: A study of the articulations of multipolarity in the academic and institutional debate of the PRC in the early 2000s
Supervisor: Marina Miranda; co-supervisor: Tanina Zappone
04/2021 - 10/2022: China Analyst and Communication Officer - CeSI Centro Studi Internazionali
10/2019 - 03/2021: Second-level advanced professional master in "International Public Affairs" - LUISS Guido Carli School of Government
10/2016 - 01/2019: Master’s degree in Oriental languages and civilizations – Sapienza University of Rome (Italy)
09/2013 - 12/2016: Bachelor’s degree in Oriental languages and civilizations – Sapienza University of Rome (Italy)