The Silk Road Think Tank Association Conference was held last year in Shenzhen.

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Think tanks are an important manifestation of a country’s soft power. They strengthen a nation’s ability to vie for dominance in international discourse.

As it undergoes reform and opening up, China is making greater contributions to the world in the fields of economy, politics and culture. China should be confident in its path and practice. Accordingly, Chinese think tanks should focus more on promoting their findings abroad rather than solely concentrating on research.

Some Western scholars have long held a skeptical attitude toward or even denied China’s development, which is rooted in their prejudice against other ideologies. Nevertheless, some domestic scholars tend to apply Western theories mechanically to Chinese practice, which is not in line with constructing China’s own discourse. Therefore, Chinese think tanks should get a firm grasp on the Chinese situation while developing a global vision and a strategic perspective, to represent a vivid and true China to the outside world.

For one thing, Chinese think tanks should engage more in global governance as a channel for spreading Chinese wisdom. Last year, Chinese think tanks actively participated in forums, symposiums and other exchange activities held by the T20 Summit in Hangzhou. They successfully led the international community to better understand China in a comprehensive and objective manner, allowing them to secure more discourse rights.

Moreover, China’s plans initiated at G20 Hangzhou Summit also drew international attention. The international community is interested in the theoretical basis of the plans and how to implement them. Therefore, telling Chinese stories requires not only report from the media but also theoretical interpretation by think tanks.

Moreover, to play an active role in global governance, think tanks should also focus on and study major global issues in fields like trade, finance, investment, labor and security. They can then propose Chinese plans accordingly after discussion and exchanges with other countries. While some Western countries are now trying to maintain discourse hegemony by exporting their own values, it is essential to promote the experience of developing countries. Chinese think tanks should grasp opportunities to contribute to the discussion on international issues with an open and inclusive attitude and then give our own voice.

Also, Chinese think tanks should increase their ability to guide international opinion by initiating topics for discussion and research that are conducive to world development rather than passively responding to global trends. Take the G20 Hangzhou Summit as an example. One key factor for its success was the relevance of topics designed. These topics highlighted the prominent conflicts and dilemmas facing current world economic development, and the summit formulated measures to address these topics.

In The Agenda-Setting Function of Mass Media, authors M.E. McCombs and D.L. Shaw argue that mass media can form or influence public opinion by setting up topics, which can also apply to think tanks. Think tanks are even more capable in this regard because media place greater emphasis on reporting social phenomena while seldom touching upon root causes. Think tanks can be a supplement. Chinese think tanks can consolidate opinions by releasing their research findings to guide people from other countries to have a rational view toward the country.

Moreover, Chinese think tanks should try to take part in building the international discourse system through innovation of discourse modes. To some extent, discourse power derives from the initiative in winning public recognition by discourse patterns that can be easily understood and accepted by the audience. Hence, think tanks should consider the psychological characteristics of the audience.

To this end, we should set up topics that can accurately reflect the reality and then we should avoid one-way and mechanical transmission. Instead, we should stress the accessibility in communication. We should study the thinking patterns and language habits of overseas audiences to achieve the optimized communication effect.

 

Mao Yue is a research fellow and vice-president of the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences.