Chinese academia has been increasingly aware of the predicament of the nation being reflected by different images both domestically and abroad. For example, the Chinese regard their country as a developing one that should focus on development by furthering reform and opening up. But foreign experts and media usually focus on the most developed area of China and see the country as a major power in the world.
Professor Wu Yun, dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Tongji University, initiated the forum for the significance of outward discourse system in international communication. Photo provided to China Watch.
Regarding this issue, more than 100 scholars, from diverse backgrounds in international relations, politics, linguistics and translation, got together in Shanghai on Oct 27-28, to discuss the possibility of improving the outward discourse system, facilitating the exchange and communication with other countries.
Huang Youyi, director of National Educational Instruction Committee for Master of Translation and Interpretation and executive vice-director of Translation Association of China, believed that differences in languages, ideologies and cultural traditions clog communication among countries. As the discourse system dominating the current political and media context originates in the Cold War era, Huang encouraged Chinese scholars to update their knowledge and enhance understanding on China as well as the world.
In recent years, Chinese scholars have employed different methods, paradigms and perspectives to deepen research in this regard. For example, Hu Kaibao, professor and director of China Image Research Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, led his team to use big data to analyze China’s image in US political discourse and vice-versa, pointing out that there is a big gap in recognition between the two major countries, which needs to be considered seriously.
Sun Jisheng, vice-president of China Foreign Affairs University, has long focused on the impact of discourse system on international relations. She gave an example of the discourse construction around the Iraq War, such as coining the concept of the axis of evils, which built a social context prone to the then US administration’s decision of dispatching troops to Iraq.
The first Symposium on Building and Translating an Outward Discourse System for International Communication was jointly held by School of Foreign Languages and Political Science and International Relations College, Tongji University. Attending scholars agreed that the discourse systems be diverse reflecting different cultures and realities, which should be fully respected and all contribute to human society and a shared future.
Chinese academia has been increasingly aware of the predicament of the nation being reflected by different images both domestically and abroad. For example, the Chinese regard their country as a developing one that should focus on development by furthering reform and opening up. But foreign experts and media usually focus on the most developed area of China and see the country as a major power in the world.
Professor Wu Yun, dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Tongji University, initiated the forum for the significance of outward discourse system in international communication. Photo provided to China Watch.
Regarding this issue, more than 100 scholars, from diverse backgrounds in international relations, politics, linguistics and translation, got together in Shanghai on Oct 27-28, to discuss the possibility of improving the outward discourse system, facilitating the exchange and communication with other countries.
Huang Youyi, director of National Educational Instruction Committee for Master of Translation and Interpretation and executive vice-director of Translation Association of China, believed that differences in languages, ideologies and cultural traditions clog communication among countries. As the discourse system dominating the current political and media context originates in the Cold War era, Huang encouraged Chinese scholars to update their knowledge and enhance understanding on China as well as the world.
In recent years, Chinese scholars have employed different methods, paradigms and perspectives to deepen research in this regard. For example, Hu Kaibao, professor and director of China Image Research Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University, led his team to use big data to analyze China’s image in US political discourse and vice-versa, pointing out that there is a big gap in recognition between the two major countries, which needs to be considered seriously.
Sun Jisheng, vice-president of China Foreign Affairs University, has long focused on the impact of discourse system on international relations. She gave an example of the discourse construction around the Iraq War, such as coining the concept of the axis of evils, which built a social context prone to the then US administration’s decision of dispatching troops to Iraq.
The first Symposium on Building and Translating an Outward Discourse System for International Communication was jointly held by School of Foreign Languages and Political Science and International Relations College, Tongji University. Attending scholars agreed that the discourse systems be diverse reflecting different cultures and realities, which should be fully respected and all contribute to human society and a shared future.
