The War of Words: A Discourse Study of the US-China Trade War
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71411/jassp.2025.518Keywords:
US-China Trade War, Discourse power, Critical Discourse Analysis, Three-Dimensional Discourse Theory, Systematic Literature ReviewAbstract
The US-China trade war is not only an economic and political contest, but also a struggle for discourse power. Integrating multidisciplinary perspectives from discourse, communication and international relations, this study reveals the multidimensional characteristics and strategic implications of the US-China trade war discourse. Based on Fairclough's three-dimensional framework of discourse theory, this study employs a systematic literature review methodology to select 89 high-quality Chinese and international academic articles from 2018 to 2024. It constructs an integrated analytical framework of "micro-text —meso- communication — macro-order." The findings reveal that the USChina trade war discourse highlights the contest for discourse power amidst the reconstruction of the international order, primarily manifested as follows: (1) China constructs institutional legitimacy by relying on rule-based consensus and multilateral narratives, while the US reinforces ideological opposition through confrontational and threatening discourse; (2) The rise of the digital communication ecosystem has reshaped the landscape of discourse power, leading to diversified communicators, emotionalized content production, and opinion polarization; (3) Both China and the US compete for the power to formulate global governance rules through national image shaping, the dissemination of values, and historical narratives. Facing a new round of the trade war, China needs to construct a multi-agent collaborative discourse system, strengthen narratives of emotional affinity and social media platform strategies, and deepen its discourse alliance with countries of the Global South to enhance its discursive influence in the reconstruction of the international economic order.
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