ABSTRACT

In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), politics are today defined not primarily by the coercive forces that the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) can wield to rule the country, but more frequently by the Party’s ability to manage political discourses in ways that make it unnecessary to use this arguably substantial capacity for force. The CCP today governs by appealing to citizens to cooperate, by justifying and explaining its rule publicly, and by persuading a broad range of societal actors to participate in the governance of the PRC. A major element in the ruling Party’s political toolbox is its ability to manage symbols and shape discourses, and through this ‘cultural governance’ try to align diverse interests with those of the leadership.