Xi Jinping and the Discursive Construction of Global Order: From the Belt and Road Initiative to Narratives of Inclusiveness, Anti-Hegemonism, and Multipolar Governance

This research paper explores how Xi Jinping's political narrative is manifesting a dream of world order by strategically telling stories of anti-hegemonism, inclusiveness, and multipolar world order within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) framework. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this paper examines how China portrays itself as a responsible leader, recommending alternatives to the U.S.-led liberal order while creating the narrative of connectivity, cooperation, and shared destiny. This framework recognizes three major dimensions: a) construction of identity, which includes China as a compassionate global leader, the Global South as partners, and the U.S. as hegemon; b) legitimation of action which contains construction of the BRI as a catalyst of mutual development; and c) the reformation of global norms which is advocating inclusivity, multipolarity, and synergy policies over hegemonic intervention. Inserting BRI discourse in local ideological narratives and global normative conflicts, the paper explains that Xi Jinping's speeches and Chinese narratives assist as a planned strategy to promote China's anticipated order, one that combines the narrative of development with civilizational history. This discursive framing resists unilateralism while seeking to construct a historical bloc around mutual futures and collective governance.