Narrating China and Europe in Uncertain Times
Edited by Ágota Révész, Duncan Freeman, Magnus Feldmann and Steven Langendonk
Published
Apr 24, 2025Page count
272 pagesISBN
978-1529238044Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University PressPublished
Apr 24, 2025Page count
272 pagesISBN
978-1529238068Dimensions
234 x 156 mmImprint
Bristol University Press
Narrating China and Europe in Uncertain Times
This edited volume examines the crucial, yet overlooked, role narratives play in the rapidly changing relationship between Europe and China.
Its contributors analyze the role of narratives in different societies and arenas ranging from economic and foreign policy to history and social media. Emphasizing the social dimension of narrative, the volume challenges traditional state-centric and strategic approaches in international politics. It also engages with the ubiquity of stories about the “other” in present manifold crises, and underscores the need for a heightened awareness of narratives and their consequences in decision-making processes.
Ágota Révész is a sinologist with experience in diplomacy. She currently works for Helmholtz Centre Potsdam.
Magnus Feldmann is Associate Professor in Politics at the University of Bristol.
Duncan Freeman is Lecturer at the Brussels Management School (ICHEC).
Steven Langendonk is Doctoral Researcher at the Leuven International and European Studies (LINES) institute of KU Leuven.
Introduction: Studying Narratives and China-Europe Relations – Ágota Révész, Duncan Freeman, Magnus Feldmann, Steven Langendonk
Part 1: Foreign Policy and International Relations
1. Where Does Discourse Take Us? Perceptions of the State(craft) in UK-China Relations – Shaun Breslin
2. Italy and the ‘China Issue’: (Populist) Narratives Across Recent Critical Junctures – Daniela Caterina
3. Narrating the Sino-Serbian ‘Iron Friendship’: European and Chinese Approaches to the Role of Culture in International Relations – Jelena Gledić
4. The Unicorn, the Dragon, and the Storytellers: A study of Foreign Narrative Making’ in the EU – Steven Langendonk
Part 2: Public Policy
5. China, Europe and Dual Circulation: Emerging Narratives of China’s New Economic Model – Duncan Freeman and Ágota Révész
6. The EU and the Chinese Human Rights Narrative: Who Benefits from Politicization? – Christelle Genoud
7. The EU’s Narratives of Counter-terrorism and the Prospects of Sino-European Security Cooperation - Chi Zhang, Xuechen Chen and Jilong Yang
Part 3: Media and Communication
8. The Role of Science and Technology in European Narratives about China – Magnus Feldmann and Aleksandra Stelmach
9. From Academic Partner to ‘Academic Threat’? German and UK Media Narratives on European-Chinese Academic Cooperation since Xi Jinping – Eva Seiwert
10. Emotions and Narratives on China in Turkish Social Media and Political Speeches: A Comparative Analysis - Cagri Cöltekin and Gül Kurtoglu Eskisar
Part 4: Historical perspectives
11. Chosen Traumas: China’s Ever-lasting Century of Humiliation (Bai Nian Guochi) and Sino-European Relations – Jasper Roctus
12. The Weight of History: Narratives of Crisis and Cold War Rhetoric – Bart Dessein
13. Conclusion – Ágota Révész, Duncan Freeman, Magnus Feldmann, Steven Langendonk
