Critical analysis of threat metaphors in the official discourse on Xinjiang: Identity and National Security in China
Abstract
Following September 11, 2001 attacks, the Communist Party of China has framed Xinjiang as the main "battlefield" in its fight against terrorism. The government justifies its counterterrorism measures—especially the controversial Vocational Education and Training Centers (VETCs)—as adapted to local conditions and as direct contribution to the global fight against terrorism and religious extremism, in line with the UN's Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. Using Charteris-Black's (2004) Critical Metaphor Analysis, this study examines the metaphorical construction of the threat in the official discourse on Xinjiang, demonstrating its function as a legitimizing tool. It also shows how metaphors operate as a channel for cognitive interpretation, reflecting the Party’s underlying ideology. This approach allows an analysis of how the interpretation, representation, and response to terrorism in Xinjiang are tied to concepts like China’s Comprehensive National Security and Xi Jinping's Five Identifications, grounding identity-building as a source of political stability.
Format
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Política y Sociedad is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
