Chinese Narrative and Discursive Power in the COVID Era

A Computational Approach

Abstract

China’s “Wolf Warrior Diplomacy” is often characterized by an aggressive use of language towards rival diplomacies. Studies around this practice are widespread, but computational approaches to it are rare. As Twitter is often indicated among the main platforms used by “wolf warriors”, the 2021 tweets by Hua Chunying and Zhao Lijian (Wolf Warrior Diplomacy exponents; assistant minister and spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, respectively) are analyzed with RStudio through three methods: topic modelling, text network analysis, and sentiment analysis. This way, three aspects are categorized: addressed topics; rhetorical ties among keywords and controversial issues in nowadays’ Chinese politics; and the emotional characterization of the conveyed messages. Through this analysis, this article maps China’s diplomacy’s modes and uses of discursive power in the “COVID era” based on topics and political objectives.