This thesis explores the Dutch response to the human rights violations committed against the Uyghur people by the People’s Republic of China. By comparing the PRC’s human rights violations to those...Show moreThis thesis explores the Dutch response to the human rights violations committed against the Uyghur people by the People’s Republic of China. By comparing the PRC’s human rights violations to those committed by Myanmar and Venezuela, it contextualizes the response of the Dutch government. This research observes that the while the PRC has committed all major offenses of which Myanmar and Venezuela have been accused, and for which sanctions have been imposed upon the two states, the Dutch government appears unwilling to impose similar restrictions upon China. Though the assessment of government discourse and the incorporation of threat perception theory as a possible principle for explaining this inconsistency, the paper finds that China’s status as a great power, primarily its economic might, has kept the Dutch government from risking the ire of the PRC as long as it is not guaranteed to have the support of its allies in the European Union.Show less
In the summer of 2019, over a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest a highly unpopular extradition law. Despite the withdrawal of the law, the protests continued for the rest...Show moreIn the summer of 2019, over a million people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest a highly unpopular extradition law. Despite the withdrawal of the law, the protests continued for the rest of the year, throwing Hong Kong into turmoil, as protesters advocated for freedom and democracy. As a result, the 2019 Hong Kong protests became one of the most heavily covered events in the media, both nationally and internationally. The demonstrations received an especially large amount of attention in Taiwan and China, due to their proximity to Hong Kong and the Chinese government’s involvement in the protests. While Taiwanese politicians came out in support of protesters’ call for independence, the Chinese government’s increased involvement in Hong Kong’s inner affairs served as a catalyst for the protests. This study analyzed the discourse of 24 editorials covering the Hong Kong protests from two newspapers; the Taipei Times (Taiwan) and the Global Times (China). An inductive discourse analysis was utilized to see which linguistic and thematic methods were used by the authors to shape the reader's perception of the protests according to their newspaper’s ideology. Results showed that while the two newspapers’ coverage of the Hong Kong protests could not have been more different thematically, using opposing narratives and arguments, their style and rhetoric had a tendency to overlap, using similar rhetorical methods to get their viewpoints across to the readers.Show less
In the beginning of the 1990s, China witnessed the arrival of the internet. The internet allowed ordinary citizens to contribute to the production of media content by sharing news and opinions with...Show moreIn the beginning of the 1990s, China witnessed the arrival of the internet. The internet allowed ordinary citizens to contribute to the production of media content by sharing news and opinions with each other. The computer-mediated communication (CMC) technology provided a new medium of interaction for citizens and allowed them to mobilise more quickly and more efficiently. Since then, the notion of collective action took on new dimensions. New forms and practices of collective action started to appear on the internet in China. One of such practices is the Human Flesh Search Engine (HFSE). It is a public search for people driven by a massive collaboration of internet users. The participants share a common goal of revealing the truth and punishing targets of the search accused or suspected of wrongdoing. This thesis analyses the role of the internet in relation to social activism and collective action in China by answering the following research question: How does the CMC, that the internet facilitates, reflect the formation of collective action in China? To answer this question, I examined the CMC in the context of the HFSE phenomenon. I analysed two notable cases of the HFSE, namely, the South China tiger scandal (2007) and the search for “Liaoning Girl” (2008). Both cases demonstrated similar patterns in terms of formation of collective action and the following search for the target. The collective action in the context of the HFSE had an actual impact on the outcomes of these cases. The CMC provides a new medium of communication, which in turn facilitates the formation of collective action.Show less
This thesis analyses newspaper articles from two state-led newspapers of the PRC regarding the phone-call between the president of the US, Donald Trump, and president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, on...Show moreThis thesis analyses newspaper articles from two state-led newspapers of the PRC regarding the phone-call between the president of the US, Donald Trump, and president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, on December 2, 2016. This phone call suggested a possible attempt by the US to undermine the One-China policy, an essential part of China’s international relations. This thesis links the outcomes of the discourse analysis with the literature review, which explains the importance of discourse in international relations and the construction of a national identity. The analysis mainly focuses on three discourse topics and discursive strategies (intertextuality, language and pictures) of the newspaper articles. Both parts concentrate on the different identity manoeuvres which construct a notion of China’s national identity. Analysing the different articles showed that this phone call was an unexpected and an unacceptable event for the PRC. The discourse regarding China’s military power occurs quite strong in the period after the phone call. With regard to the construction of national identity, concluded is that the newspaper articles construct an identity of China which is ‘unassailable’ for any changes from external actors in Sino-U.S. or cross-strait relations. The position of Taiwan in China’s identity is constructed in a conflicting way by the articles. Language features often identify Taiwan as the ‘other’, which excludes Taiwan from China’s identity. However, when speaking about Sino-U.S. relations, Taiwan is included in China’s identity.Show less
The arrival of Donald Trump on the global political stage, has significantly changed how other countries regard the US. One country where this is especially true is China. This thesis therefore...Show moreThe arrival of Donald Trump on the global political stage, has significantly changed how other countries regard the US. One country where this is especially true is China. This thesis therefore analyzed three different Chinese newspapers on their discourse regarding the US in the period between the latter part of the 2016 US elections and the first few months of Trump’s presidency. Special focus is paid to how the discourse of the newspapers relates to China. Generally, the newspapers treated the presidency of Trump, as well as his election, as symptoms of a greater US decline. Apart from US decline, there was also special emphasis in the newspapers on China’s importance as a great power. Overall, there was a big difference in reporting between the two state-owned newspapers and the one private-owned newspaper. These difference were mostly related to the focus of the articles and a relatively large shift in tone of the articles. The official newspapers changed their reporting on the US drastically in later reporting, as well as China’s relationship with the US. These changes betray a lack of coherent strategy in regards to China’s view of itself as a great power and its relationship with the US.Show less
This dissertation aims to investigate how the Tibetan education system is depicted in Chinese blogs and online official news media in the year of 2014, specifically the bilingual education system...Show moreThis dissertation aims to investigate how the Tibetan education system is depicted in Chinese blogs and online official news media in the year of 2014, specifically the bilingual education system of Tibetan students. It will also investigate and compare the discourses that online newspapers and blogs construct on bilingual education in the Tibetan case. To answer these questions, the thesis uses a method of discourse analysis to examine how Tibetans and the Tibetan education system are depicted in Chinese official online newspapers and blogs. Show less
