Experts call for building China's int'l discourse system

A group of scholars met in Beijing on Jan. 7 to explore the possibilities and ways to build China's international discourse system and boost China's voice in the international community.

The 2016 Annual Meeting on the Construction of China's International Discourse System is held in Beijing on Jan. 7, 2017. [Photo by Guo Yiming/China.org.cn]

The 2016 Annual Meeting on the Construction of China's International Discourse System, organized by the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), brought together experts from universities, think tanks and NGOs to share their opinions on the subject amid a worldwide call for creating a new global governance system.

While exploring the theoretical and practical significance of the discourse system, Deng Chundong, president of the Institute of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said scholars, especially in the philosophical and social science fields, should clarify and develop a system that could introduce the real China and enhance the country's voice and involvement in world affairs.

"When a friend speaks to a friend, and when a country speaks to another country, every word matters," argued Robert Kapp, former president of the U.S.-China Business Council and senior advisor of the China Program at the Carter Center. He also stressed the need to speak in a way to which others could relate while being true to oneself.

"When China speaks to the world, it has many advantages that could also be seen as challenges at the same time," said Kapp, who illustrated this remark by pointing to the sheer size and the rich history of the country that could be obstacles for China in establishing a fair discourse system.

Liu Yawei, director of the China Program at Carter Center, listed China's efforts to boost its voice in the world, such as establishing the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIIB), developing the Belt and Road Initiative, holding various international forums like the Hangzhou G20 Summit, as well as updating Chinese news, policies and stories through unprecedented media outreach.

China's various initiatives among other buzzwords in its policy arsenal needed to be transformed into tangible deeds and actions contributing to economic development, social progress and dispute settlement, said Liu, as he specified ways to establish a discourse system acceptable to the international community.

UIBE also inaugurated the Research Center for Constructing China's International Discourse System during the event.