‘Barbarising’ China in American trade war discourse: the assault on Huawei

How is the legitimation of American trade war with China discursively managed and conferred in recent political discourse? This paper critically examines this under-explored question current literature. Taking cues from critical international theory its insight on discourse foreign policy, I start by historicising discursive practices, which call ‘barbarising China’, construction civilisation vs barbarism as a hierarchical opposition. Mapping authoritarian onto historically contingent liberal civilisational edifice, argue, has prepared ground for action war. Through analysis how been constructed ‘barbarian’ economic aggressor discourse, further argue that ‘political reality’ ‘knowledge’ practice produces serves not only imperative legitimising policy choices, but also particular need ‘civilised’ hegemon to legitimise power practices beyond close examination coordinated assault Huawei, illustrate ‘barbarising’ done an integral part assert become indispensable strategy sustain precarious hegemony.