Discursive practices in translating political discourse: insights from white papers on China-US economic and trade frictions

Discursive practice in political discourse translation is an underexplored research area from the perspective of critical discourse analysis. To fill this gap, this research proposes a framework including national consciousness, intersubjectivity, and social context to investigate the discursive production, and distribution of translated white papers on China-US economic and trade friction issued by China, and its discursive consumption on social media. This study applies dual narrative progression theory to analyze the discursive production of the translation, with an emphasis on how these translations construct and express national image and ideology. Furthermore, the approach considers foreign news reports and public stances within the target social context, which covers distribution and consumption in discursive practice. It is shown that the meaning and production of national images are predominantly influenced by national consciousness, and cultural and ideological negotiations exist among translation subjects. Although translated white papers describe China as a defender of national interests and a supporter of dialog, foreign news reports present China with a more unyielding and aggressive stance. This portrayal could influence public perceptions on the issue, and it could also be influenced by those perceptions. This paper reveals that translating political discourse is a form of social practice and highlights the social functions that discursive practice plays in this process.