(Un)Changed Melodies: Meaning Generation as Variations on a Theme

This chapter synthesises how the Communist Party of China constructs, refines, and disseminates politically strategic narratives across genres, languages, and platforms. It stresses that, despite the stylistic variation and rhetorical adaptability observed, the underlying discursive goals—such as reinforcing legitimacy, projecting national strength, and aligning public sentiment with Party objectives—remain remarkably consistent. The chapter argues that, while China’s official media employ a variety of linguistic and rhetorical devices, this variability ultimately serves the broader purpose of discursive control. It also highlights the importance of examining these strategies in an international context, as China’s communicative practices increasingly influence global information flows. The conclusion calls for sustained scholarly attention to the mechanisms by which the Party-state manufactures meaning in ways that are both culturally specific and globally consequential.