Telling the China Story Well: A Discursive Approach to the Analysis of Chinese Foreign Policy in the "Belt and Road" Initiative

This article addresses the 'One Belt, One Road' Initiative, abbreviated as the BRI, the flagship project of current Chinese foreign policy. In contrast with conventional positivist studies in international relations, this article adopts a discursive approach to reveal aspects of the often neglected political reality behind China's BRI rhetoric. The article constructs a two-step framework for analysis of the discourse of China's BRI: first, analysis of the production of discourse and second, analysis of the discourse-foreign policy nexus. This framework is then used to delve into the two main themes of development and geopolitics in BRI discourses. The production of these discourses is further associated with ongoing Chinese foreign policy efforts. This discursive analysis adds to our understanding of current Chinese foreign policy, particularly in terms of its main priorities and areas of focus, and of the possible ensuing implications.