Mapping the Obstructive Narratives on China-CEEC Cooperation

Mitić, Aleksandar (2022) Mapping the Obstructive Narratives on China-CEEC Cooperation. In: Results and Challenges: Ten Years of China-CEEC Cooperation. Eurasia Center, John Von Neumann University, Budapest, pp. 32-58. ISBN 978-615-6435-05-7

Text Kina_KKE__online-1-18-58.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (2MB)

Abstract

Since 2012, rising cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries has induced both enthusiasm among participating countries and worry in the West about its economic, geopolitical and normative implications. Particularly over the last half-decade, China-CEEC projects have faced intensive monitoring, increasing criticism and attempts at derailment. These projects have been depicted as a “concrete threat” to Western liberal democracy, as being “non-transparent”, “undermining EU regulations” and supporting “illiberal regimes in Eastern Europe”. How is the obstructive narrative on China-CEEC cooperation crafted? The paper analyses critical think-tank, media and policymaking reports focused on China- CEEC cooperation in order to discern frames and to map the resulting contending narratives. Furthermore, the analysis extends to the methods used to construct the narratives and their ramifications. It draws from research on strategic communication, framing and narratives, referring also to securitization and the concepts of hybrid threats and resilience. The results show that the construction of the obstructive narrative is based on frames exploiting the crafted imagery of China’s “systemic ills” and “geopolitical ambitions” and their projection to China-CEEC cooperation and projects. Our findings could enrich understanding of the current and potential future dynamics of the China-CEEC cooperation network, as well as of the external influencers and their tactics. From the point of view of China-CEEC, these results can serve both as a lesson and an insight into the way towards better monitoring, evaluation and crafting of strategic communication response.

Actions (login required)

View Item