ABSTRACT
This chapter sets out the central research questions: How does China narrate about infrastructure to create a shared meaning about Belt and Road infrastructure projects? And, how does China apply representations of the past to revive the Silk Road? It introduces the argument that China communicates two strategic narratives to construct a shared meaning about the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to foreign audiences; tailored infrastructure narratives and Silk Road narratives. This book's argument draws on perspectives from a variety of disciplines, including International Political Communication, and Science and Technology Studies. Following a brief overview of the main concepts and theories that inform the book's argument, it then explains how China's international communication operates and highlights the book's focus on digital communication practices. The remainder of the chapter explains the research design encompassing a visual methodology, qualitative narrative analysis, and literary criticism, justifies the selection of case studies and concludes with the structure of the book.
