Ricerc@Sapienza

This essay aims to discuss the new-sprung narratives about the great rise of China and its increasing ascendancy in the international arena during the last decade. The analysis starts with an exploration of the political meaning and implications of the idea of “Beijing Consensus”, as this concept marks a different approach to the international order, which has been characterized by the “Washington Consensus”. This paper then reconstructs the vivid debate over the “China Model”, examining many different positions:on one hand, the critical stances assumed by most Western experts and some Chinese analysts; on the other hand, the apologetic discourses put forward by Chinese Party-affiliated intellectuals. The nationalist claims of the latter have also been highlighted. Furthermore, these narratives entered a new stage thanks to Xi Jinping’s notion of “Chinese Dream”: set in opposition to the “American Dream” and Western universal values, it can be historically situated and politically contextualized within other ongoing policies and propaganda practices.