The rise of China and its contest for discursive power

The Chinese leadership has emphasized that China is pursuing a path of peaceful development, but much of the rest of the world, especially the West, is suspicious of this claim. In order to alleviate the anxiety and fear about its rise among nations who share different systems and interests, China has devoted significant efforts to cultivate its soft power. The results have been mixed. This article examines China’s bid for soft power and its public diplomacy, which, since President Xi Jinping’s ascendancy to power in 2013, has shifted from assuring the world of its peaceful rise to competing for discursive power on the global stage. The implications for the global order of this shift in public diplomacy are assessed.