Framing China: Discourses of othering in US news and political rhetoric

Abstract

China has emerged in the early 21st century as arguably the most important partner and rival to the United States. Increasingly, the United States perceives China’s rise on the world stage as a threat to US global hegemony. US national discourse has constructed China, we argue, as a potential enemy Other—an ever-present threat with whom we cautiously partner with. This article situates this flexible construction within the history of Orientalism in US national discourse—China as exotic other, yellow peril, red peril, and little brother—and considers the cultural work that the trope of China as potential enemy other performs to justify US actions to keep China in line. Specifically, the article traces Orientalist tropes that emerge in US political rhetoric and news media pertaining to three areas of significance in US–China relations—China’s national currency valuation, cyber espionage, and maritime disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea.