National Discourse Studies In International Relations

Language is a unique human biological and social capability.Communication is not only an important part of people's social daily life,but also the basic ways for people to be socialized.The Communication is an important factor to promote the development of human society.The discourse is the specific using of language and the language used.The former refers to the meaningful action called "speech act",the latter is the text with "knowledge".The discourse in society reflecting some degree of social facts is the ideal truth which is the objective existence.The assumption of "the national personification",which is the consensus in international studies,endues the Nation with many characteristics of Humankind.The nation has the similar language ability,capability and demand.Does the "national discourse" have an important role in international relations and the international community?Obviously it does.Then,what is the national discourse,what role and the function of the national discourse playing?Those are the problem that will be solved in this paper.National discourse is the national action based on some goal to express its ideas,views and wishes.The content of discourse is the reflection of the nation's cognition about "Himself","Other" and "international society",which can be the main material and the basis for other nations to learn about that nation.Discourse action is a behavioral method to participate in the international community and interpersonal communication.Through delivering special meaning of information,the nation tries to change others' decision-making action by effecting on their social cognition.There are 3 kinds of national discourse,which are "expression","pleading" and "narrative".Discourse interaction is the ideal interaction between nations.Discourse interaction is not only the Play on interest and power using language,but also the way to promote common concern and understanding on social interaction scenarios,facts,opponents and the issues,to optimize one's social knowledge,and to reduce or decrease the misconception.Negotiation and dialogue is different typical theoretical model of national discourse.Negotiation is aimed to cut and distribute interests in bargaining manner;the discourse in negotiation is instrumental discourse,which emphasizes the behavior of instrumental rationality.Dialogue or communication does not involve the problem of interests rather than reach the rational consensus,which discusses "what is the problem";the discourse in it is knowledgeable discourse emphasizing the behavior of communicative rationality.However,in the international relations practice,there are no instrumental or knowledgeable Discourses,which are always found coexisted.We call it practical discourse.National discourse plays the role by influencing the others' cognition in practice of international relations.On the behavior level,the nation declares its own ideas,interests and foreign policy to the international society to win respect for their own interests,recognition and support.On system level,on the one hand,the nation use the words forcefully or non-compulsorily to persuade others to respect,identify and support its interest demands;on the other hand,using the knowledgeable discourse to change others' social facts cognition and affect their decision-making maintain or shape the favorable relationship desired.Early 1970s Sino-US negotiations on the"Taiwan Issue" is the illustration of the instrumental discourse,and the present Sino-US dialogue on constructing "the new type major countries relation between China and US" is the other illustration of knowledgeable discourse.In the narrow sense,the national discursive power is a national discourse ' s power effect in the international community and the specific relationship.Therefore,a nation ' s discursive power depends on the extent of the identity on the national discourse by others.The higher the identity one gets,the bigger the power he owns.According to the relationship between discourse and knowledge,that one can deconstruct the discourse not conducive to its interest and construct the discourse in favor of its interest.This is the basic idea of a nation to enhance its international discursive power.The strategic communication,strategic communication and international agenda building is 3 basic methods and strategies to increase the national discursive power in the international community.At present,compared to the West,China has no or inferior power on discourse,this is not conducive to shaping Chinese good international image and has already constituted potential threats to china's interest.In order to change china's inferior situation and break the monopoly by the westerns,China is actively building a "national discourse system",putting forward the "peaceful development" and "win-win cooperation" to deconstruct "the rise and fall of great powers" and "Zero-sum game" logic of knowledge in the western discourse;China proposes "harmonious world" and "human Community with a shared future" and so on,to construct china's logic of knowledge which has Chinese characteristics and connotation.Through effective international communication strategy,communication and international agenda setting,China is enhancing her national discourse.