@article{ART003330200},
author={Sangmin SEO},
title={Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025)},
journal={Asia Review},
issn={2234-0386},
year={2026},
volume={16},
number={1},
pages={201-238}
TY - JOUR
AU - Sangmin SEO
TI - Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025)
JO - Asia Review
PY - 2026
VL - 16
IS - 1
PB - 아시아연구소
SP - 201
EP - 238
SN - 2234-0386
AB - This article examines how the institutionalization of Xi Jinping’s “Holistic National Security” reconfigures the justificatory grammar of China’s foreign policy from a development–opening logic to a security–struggle logic, producing a path departure that becomes difficult to reverse. Building on historical institutionalism’s insights on path dependence and critical junctures, it advances an authoritarian adaptation of discursive institutionalism through a “discursive subsumption” model, in which elite coordinative discourse vertically absorbs communicative discourse via organizational discipline and legalization. Using a corpus of authoritative Chinese-language texts from 2017~2025 Party Congress reports, official readouts of central foreign and economic work meetings, key laws (including the Foreign Relations Law), and major leaders’ speeches—the study constructs word co-occurrence networks and applies centrality measures, QAP correlations, and CONCOR blockmodeling. The analyses demonstrate (1) a reversal in discursive hierarchy as “security” and “struggle” become central hubs and brokers, (2) a structural discontinuity between earlier and later phases, and (3) the subsumption of economic issues(e.g., supply chains and technology) into a securitized foreign-policy block. Methodologically, the paper shows how discourse network analysis can render ideational power observable in authoritarian settings.
KW - Holistic National Security;China’s Foreign Policy;Discursive Institutionalism;Historical Institutionalism;Path Transformation;Discursive Subsumption;Discourse Network Analysis
DO -
UR -
ER -
Sangmin SEO. (2026). Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025). Asia Review, 16(1), 201-238.
Sangmin SEO. 2026, "Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025)", Asia Review, vol.16, no.1 pp.201-238.
Sangmin SEO "Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025)" Asia Review 16.1 pp.201-238 (2026) : 201.
Sangmin SEO. Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025). 2026; 16(1), 201-238.
Sangmin SEO. "Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025)" Asia Review 16, no.1 (2026) : 201-238.
Sangmin SEO. Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025). Asia Review, 16(1), 201-238.
Sangmin SEO. Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025). Asia Review. 2026; 16(1) 201-238.
Sangmin SEO. Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025). 2026; 16(1), 201-238.
Sangmin SEO. "Discursive Institutionalism in an Authoritarian Context: Discursive Subsumption and Path Transformation in China’s Foreign Policy Discourse Network (2017–2025)" Asia Review 16, no.1 (2026) : 201-238.
