The concept of policy transfer has significantly expanded from its origins, moving beyond Western-centric models to include diverse perspectives from the Global South, particularly China. As economic and political power shifts southward, understanding how non-Western countries influence policy abroad becomes crucial. This panel will focus on China’s role in policy dissemination in the Global South, assessing whether it merely supplements existing external influences or reshapes local governance through unique approaches. The discussion will explore China’s strategies for managing and disseminating its narratives internationally, especially in response to Western liberal ideas, which Beijing often perceives as threats to its ideological security. The panel will also consider how China leverages its relationships in the Global South to promote its governance models and challenge Western dominance in global discourse. This includes examining strategic narrative placements in international forums and local discussions on human rights, security, governance, and development.
The objectives of this panel are to provide a comprehensive understanding of how China’s quest for discourse power influences its foreign policy and international relations, especially in the context of the Global South. The session aims to reveal the nuanced dynamics of how Chinese norms and values are received, interpreted, and integrated into local policy processes, thereby contributing to the broader discourse on global governance and international power dynamics. Additionally, the panel will analyze the linguistic and cultural challenges involved in translating China’s policy and normative frameworks into the contexts of other nations. It will assess how these translations influence the reception and adaptation of Chinese policies, focusing on the complexities of China's policy discourse. Another critical area of discussion will be the discrepancies between China's internal and external messaging, exploring how strategic ambiguities in official translations may provide China with the flexibility to navigate international diplomacy. This discussion is essential for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners at the intersection of international relations, communication strategies, and regional geopolitics, offering insights into China’s role in reshaping global narratives and the implications for international cooperation and conflict.