The Promotion of Chinese National Identity in Healthcare: The Discursive Power of the Medical Chinese Test

Abstract

The institution of the Medical Chinese Test (MCT) on December 15 2019, set a significant milestone in evaluating proficiency in medical Chinese among international medical students and practitioners. Situated within the broader context of recent accomplishments in Chinese healthcare domain, such as Tu Youyou’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the effective management of COVID-19, and the recent accreditation of Chinese medical education programs by Word Federation for Medical Education, the MCT was portrayed as an integral element of China's healthcare achievements. However, the MCT’s intricate complex nature poses challenges to widespread accessibility, as evidenced by the presence of only 30 testing centers globally, with merely 5 located outside Asia. Drawing on discursive power theory, this paper examines the rhetorical process employed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China in introducing the MCT, exploring its role in internationalizing Chinese research, language, and culture, and shaping a positive national identity. The establishment of the MCT is thus framed within broader sociopolitical objectives aimed at maintaining political leadership, asserting China's global influence, and adhering to international standards in development and scientific research, thereby enhancing the country’s prestige and international recognition.