Convincing 1.4 Billion? The Use of Metaphors in Xi Jinping’s Speech on Eco-Civilization-Building

Paper Abstract: Amid growing global concerns over climate change and increasing scepticism towards the Chinese government, I critically examine President Xi Jinping's 2018 speech, a seminal address on constructing an ecological civilization in China. This research focuses on understanding metaphors within this discourse and their links to ideology and the evolving Chinese environmental identity.

Adopting Arran Stibbe's eco-linguistic methodology, I scrutinize Xi's 2018 speech to unearth what Stibbe terms the "stories we live by" — the shared environmental narratives lived by 1.4 billion Chinese. This involves a three-step process of critical metaphor analysis: identifying metaphors, interpreting their significance, and elucidating their ideological and identity-related implications.

Examining these metaphors not only enhances our understanding of the Chinese political environment, but also connects different academic disciplines. Studying how metaphors shape China’s environmental narratives in the speech at hand, bridges the gap between linguistic analysis, sinology, environmental studies, and political sciences. Furthermore, the potential for future research comparing these narratives to those of European or other Asian countries underscores the global relevance of this study.

Addressing questions such as "what promises are made?" and "what challenges are articulated?" my research investigates how metaphors are wielded to convince Chinese citizens to embrace the necessary sacrifices for building an "ecological civilization", or to put it more bluntly: what actually works in China. Outcomes encompass the discovery of ideological metaphors interwoven with the formation of a distinct Chinese environmental identity. With this I shed light on the Chinese government's endeavours to inspire eco-conscious values in its populace.