Domestic Policy Narratives and International Relations Theory

China is rapidly changing and its role in the world is becoming larger with each transformation. As China's economic and political power grows, Western nations must develop better ways of dealing with Chinese ambitions on the world stage. In this compelling work, Michael McCoy urges American policy makers to move beyond past perceptions of China as a political threat and an economic gold mine to consider Chinese political identity and actions from a Chinese perspective. He investigates American and Chinese interpretations of various sociopolitical concepts, arguing that a discernment of the different meanings is necessary to understand subsequent actions and avoid confusion and fear. Specifically, McCoy explores how Chinese domestic policy narratives reflect Chinese political identity, which in turn authorizes specific actions at the national and international level. Using post-modern discourse analysis, he examines the implementation of a Chinese domestic policy known as Ecological Agriculture, considering it as ritual, myth, and metaphor. His analysis reveals the power relations and forms of interaction within and between diverse social groups that are an integral part of Chinese political identity and culture. Highly original and insightful, McCoy's study will be of great value to those with an interest in Chinese development, international relations, comparative politics, and policy analysis.