HU BAP ID:18426

China's BRI in Transnational Perspective: Comparative Discourse Analysis of 'Opinion Technicians' in Ethiopia, Pakistan and Turkey

Project members:

Dr. Abdulaziz Dino, Addis Ababa University School of Journalism and Communication
Ali Zain, Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences
Gökçe Özsu, Hacettepe University Graduate School of Social Sciences
Prof.Dr. Mutlu Binark, Hacettepe University Graduate Faculty of Communication
*the name of the contributors are written alphabetical order

ABSTRACT OF THE PROJECT: 

This research focuses on the grand project BRI (Belt & Road Initiative) which was introduced by China back in 2013 and largely recognized as Chinese alternative globalization vision. It intends to analyze Twitter contents produced by officials and opinion technicians in Turkey, Pakistan and Ethiopia about the subject during and after the second BRI forum held in 2019. As major research method, the research will employ a discourse analysis on Twitter interactions of public figures (officials and opinion technicians) from the three focus countries.

BRI has been introduced by China as a historic belt road with the propose of reconstructing China`s political, economic, and cultural connections. And according to Chinese official statements, the project intends to contribute to cultural legacy, peace and economic development of participating countries. “The realization of this project will help out to maintain tight economic connection among participating countries, introduce new infrastructural expansions, create new centers to enhance growth and operation capacities, and improve the internal economic dynamics and risk protection capabilities of participating countries (Xi, 2014, s. 364)”. As most of the existing pertinent literature about BRI relates the subject of international relations, the project is mostly linked to China`s special global political vision. Only a small portion of the literature about the subject is connected to how the mainstream media have given emphasis to the role of the project in upholding Chinese relation with other countries.

Whereas, this study will conduct a discourse analysis with the aim to conceptualize how public figures have framed BRI in Turkey, Pakistan and Ethiopia and compare the overall discursive practices about the subject in these countries. Turkey is included in the BRI as prominent part of the `middle east corridor` in a network of railway project that extends from Caucasia to Europe. With the relative decline of its relations with the west, Turkey has become interested in the Chinese centered alternative global policies. Ethiopia`s incorporation to the BRI has been realized when the country became a part of the major Chinese supported railway project partly completed back in 2018 connecting major cities across neighboring countries in the horn of Africa. Pakistan`s inclusion into BRI come into view with the construction of `China-Pakistan Economic Corridor` which extends to the Baluchistan's port city of Gwadar, and it has become a crucial affair largely changing Pakistan`s local and national politics.

The distinct value of this research is its contribution to both the international and Turkish academic literature about BRI, as a first ever comparative discourse analysis on social media contents produced by public figures. With the absence of adequate researches on the subject in media studies, the production of knowledge will consider how the BRI has become a prominent part of the Chinese alternative global centralization project, and how relations with the three countries is contextualized in the macro, meso and micro level similarities and differences of the discourse practices. Certainly, the public figures and opinion technicians' conceptualization of BRI will be affected by their respective countries political, economic, cultural and geopolitical contexts. The other distinctive value of the study is its focus on Twitter discussions about BRI by considering the three countries` relations with China within the specific contexts of the countries, and also the production of essential knowledge about the issue both to regional studies and Turkish contexts. With the consideration of an accelerated Turkish economic and political connection with Asia in recent years, definitely; there is a need for such researches within the field of communication studies.