Brand new China: performing heritage, culture, and harmony in the global business of national identity

Abstract

This dissertation brings into focus the management of the global image of China and documents how the branded image has intervened with the national identity construction in transitional China. My interest in nation branding and post-communism stems from my personal experience growing up in China as it went through radical social and economic transitions. Qualitative and interpretive methodologies structured this study, with personal memory and analytical voices weaving through an examination of nationhood, policy, history, and culture. The dissertation consists of 4 chapters, besides the introduction and conclusion. Chapter 1 outlines the historical path of China’s global image, from isolation in ancient times to Mao’s aggressive propaganda to the contemporary (re)branding of its national image. Chapter 2 examines the ongoing China Dream campaign, with its historical context, current practices, and its implications for nation branding. Chapter 3 interrogates the branding practices which I call “ancientizing” the modern cities, which renders authenticity and heritage easily packaged and sold in the globalized market. Chapter 4 looks at the intriguing continuities and discontinuities in representing China’s global image in the United States, as China strives to shift from propaganda to publicity. Using China as a case study, this project aims to invite critical investigation into the phenomenon of nation branding. It outlines the beginning of a critique that relates nation branding to the rise of global promotional culture, and explains how the image makeover complicates the construction of identity, space, and governance, as well as China’s controversial role as a new global power.