Chinese perceptions and refutations of face-threatening impoliteness regarding diplomatic press conferences

Abstract Academic interest in impoliteness within political interactions has grown, but there remains a significant gap in the exploration of Chinese political discourse, let alone understanding how and why multiple participants perceive and respond to this phenomenon. Moreover, metaphor, as a crucial off-record strategy in impoliteness research, has not been given in-depth scrutiny by pragmaticists. To address the gaps, we collected 228 Chinese diplomatic press conference texts, and interviewed 27 Chinese citizens to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze external journalists’ face-threatening impoliteness and public understandings and retorts, in comparison with Chinese spokespersons’ measures of counter-impoliteness. It is found that first, the journalists’ impoliteness primarily consists of explicit negative association, seeking disagreement, and threatening/frightening. Second, the interviewees’ evaluation of impoliteness is influenced by their background knowledge, collective identity, political stances, and attention to the journalists’ querying manners. Third, the spokespersons use 11 types of deliberate metaphors along with other negative evaluations such as denials and rhetorical questions. Apart from these devices, the interviewees’ responses abound with distinct outpourings of other-condemning sentiment. The multiple recipients’ judgments and rebuttals may interrelate with their discoursal and social roles, which are arguably affected by China’s contemporary diplomacy and nationals’ mentalities.