Dialogue on Views on Civilization | Fan Daqi

Taking the lead in constructing a discourse system on the perspective of Chinese civilization, integrating both domestic and foreign viewpoints

General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech during the 30th collective study session of the Central Political Bureau provides a fundamental guideline for the construction of the discourse system in foreign communication and the daily work of international communicators. In the process of external exchanges, telling China's story well, and disseminating China's voice, it is necessary to actively promote the construction of the discourse system based on the Chinese perspective. Regarding the construction of the discourse system, it can be approached from three dimensions: discourse construction, translation and conversion, and precise dissemination. The construction of the discourse system for China's perspective in foreign communication requires a consciousness of taking the lead and integrating both domestic and foreign elements. In this regard, I will discuss the understanding of "taking the lead and integrating both domestic and foreign elements" by combining how to effectively interpret China's perspective in foreign contexts from three dimensions.  

Discourse Construction: Breaking through traditional thinking, transcending local linguistic contexts, and facing cultural differences in perspectives

The continuous 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization serves as an important source material for constructing the discourse of Chinese cultural perspectives. However, in the process of discourse construction, we must not overlook the cultural and civilizational differences between China and other countries. China, with its profound 5,000-year-old civilization, is one of the few ancient civilizations in the world that has remained unbroken and continues to develop to this day. This has formed the spiritual pursuit, characteristics and heritage that have been passed down through generations of the Chinese nation.

From both internal and external manifestations, being kind, benevolent and maintaining harmony among nations has been the consistent way of life in Chinese civilization. Benefiting the people, ensuring their well-being and promoting prosperity are the distinct values upheld in Chinese civilization. Embracing change, innovation and keeping pace with the times are the timeless spiritual qualities of Chinese civilization. Embracing the natural order and achieving unity between heaven and humanity represent the intrinsic survival concept of Chinese civilization.

In terms of ideological concepts, the "harmony" culture is a significant principle in Chinese civilization. The "harmony" culture has a long history and encompasses the cosmology of unity between heaven and humanity, an international perspective of harmony among nations, a social perspective of unity in diversity, and a moral perspective of promoting goodness in human hearts. These cultural traits provide rich content and a clear logical framework for constructing the discourse of Chinese cultural perspectives.

Based on this foundation, the external interpretation of Chinese cultural perspectives should emphasize the integration of domestic and foreign storytelling. From the perspective of discourse construction, the framework of cultural perspectives is like the skeleton, while the stories of cultural perspectives are like the flesh and blood. When telling stories, it is important to rely on supporting data. For example, when discussing the civilization of social governance, one can refer to the "Global Law and Order Index" published by Kazakhstan's Industrial Newspaper in cooperation with Gallup Consulting, which ranks China third in terms of the index. Another example could be the case of an Argentine hiking enthusiast reported by Spain's La Vanguardia newspaper, who spent 15 months walking along the Great Wall from Jiayuguan to Shanhaiguan. During the journey of over 4,000 kilometers, whether in urban areas or the countryside, he did not encounter any incidents of robbery or theft. The Chinese people he met along the way were very warm and friendly. He believed that China is the safest country in the world, without a doubt.

However, when elevating these stories to the level of cultural perspectives and values, cultural differences become an issue. For instance, when General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Beijing in 2017, he specifically mentioned the "Chaoyang masses" and the "Xicheng aunties". However, when telling the stories of the "Chaoyang masses" and the "Xicheng aunties" participating in urban management to foreign audiences, some foreign experts have raised concerns that such expressions may not easily evoke positive associations among overseas audiences. Some foreign audiences may even perceive the actions of the "masses" and "aunties" as interference in personal lives within the context of Western-oriented rigid thinking. In response to this, we conducted targeted surveys and found that indeed, many overseas media outlets mockingly referred to the "Chaoyang masses" and "Xicheng aunties" as "intelligence networks" or "surveillance monitors". Some media even focused their reports on the bonuses provided to the "Chaoyang masses" and "Xicheng aunties" for providing information, which led to criticism of the originally positive narrative content of our cultural perspectives.

For example, terms like "alleyway premier" and "hutong minister", although we find them appealing, can cause misunderstandings when directly translated while telling the stories of pandemic prevention and control to foreign audiences. Foreign audiences may be confused, wondering, "Do China's alleyway and hutong managers have administrative ranks?" To address this, when constructing discourse about the "Chaoyang masses" and "Xicheng aunties" for foreign audiences, we can use the internationally recognized term "peace volunteers" to describe them. These seemingly simple changes in terminology effectively highlight their service-oriented identity rather than a managerial one. With this shift, the audience can easily understand the context.

From the above examples, it can be observed that when telling stories about the civilization of social governance, it is important to go beyond the local context, minimize cultural discounts, and combine the national conditions and characteristics of China with the expression habits and psychological acceptance of foreign audiences. It is necessary to find common interests, shared language and emotional resonance points in order to eliminate barriers by focusing on the maximum common denominator of the civilization perspectives of the target country. It is important to vigorously promote the transition from localized language expressions to internationally recognized conceptual categories. The emphasis should be on content that evokes empathy, resonance and shared understanding, rather than relying solely on familiar and self-oriented content.

Translation transformation: In the process of embracing diverse influences, translation plays a significant role in facilitating cultural exchange and ensuring its continuous rejuvenation

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Chinese civilization, as an inclusive and integrated whole, has become what it is today through constant interactions with other civilizations. It has been enriched by the introduction of Buddhism and the confluence of Islam and Confucianism in the old days, and by the introduction of Western learning, the launch of the New Culture Movement and the introduction of Marxism and socialism in modern times. All-round opening-up of the country, starting with the reform and opening-up program, has added to its vitality today."

 "Embracing diverse influences" is a key concept in the Chinese perspective of civilization. We should take translation as a starting point, not only to substantiate and promote the concept of embracing diverse influences but also to utilize it as an important means of achieving global, regional and international expressions in the discourse of civilization perspectives.

Currently, the translation of China's perspective on civilization faces significant challenges. Recently, there has been a hype in the Western media about a so-called "Great Translation Movement", which utilizes translation as a medium to selectively extract relatively intense remarks from Chinese social media. This approach aims to disseminate manipulative information that diminishes the image of China to foreign audiences, attempting to guide the international community to believe that "Chinese people are not as friendly as imagined".

In 2021, a bipartisan group in the United States House of Representatives proposed the establishment of an "Open Translation and Analysis Center" (OTAC) to translate, analyze and publicly disseminate important Chinese party and government documents. This indicates that the United States and the West, in an integrated manner involving both government and civilians, are intentionally shaping their desired image of China, with a planned, systematic, rhythmic and purposeful approach, in order to influence the construction of the discourse narrative on China's perspective of civilization. Against the backdrop of the internet becoming an increasingly important battleground for public opinion, we should make good use of the influence of self-media, prominent figures and internet personalities in the online space. We should also integrate the power of grassroots translation and communication, enhance the awareness of "taking the lead while incorporating both Chinese and foreign elements", and utilize multiple languages to express positive and constructive viewpoints, showcasing a three-dimensional and vibrant image of a civilized China in the vast online realm.

Precise dissemination: It is essential to have an awareness of incorporating both Chinese and foreign elements

General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed, "Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning." To promote the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations, it is necessary to uphold the correct attitude and principles. The General Secretary outlined four points: firstly, upholding the diversity of world civilizations; secondly, respecting the civilizations of all countries and nations; thirdly, engaging in proper learning and reference of civilizations; fourthly, adopting a scientific approach to cultural traditions.

When conducting precise dissemination of the discourse on China's perspective of civilization, we should take the lead in practicing such attitudes and principles. For example, China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration launched "Key Words to Understand China: The Fight Against COVID-19", which presents a comprehensive view through keywords of China's fight against the pandemic. The entries include many heartwarming stories of ordinary people, such as residents from Wenchuan donating vegetables to residents of Wuhan and delivery workers working overtime without neglecting their duties.

However, two well-known figures, Zhang Dingyu and Zhang Boli, were not included as "keywords". In fact, these two entries were initially included, but during the translation process, some foreign experts believed that overseas audiences would find it difficult to understand and accept such a collectivist perspective on civilization. For example, some foreign experts provided feedback that it would be challenging for foreign audiences to comprehend the concept of doctors concealing their own illnesses and persisting in the principle of putting others before themselves in saving lives. They would wonder how a doctor who is also a patient could continue to treat others. Additionally, some foreign experts questioned why Zhang Dingyu and his wife, who were deeply in love, did not take care of his wife who had contracted COVID-19 but instead focused on caring for other patients. Such logic may be emotionally challenging for foreigners to accept. On the other hand, the stories of ordinary individuals that we shared have successfully triggered empathy and resonance among foreign audiences at the level of values. Therefore, we believe that in the process of precise dissemination, it is important to bridge the differences in perspectives of civilization and promote better exchange and mutual learning of civilizations.