China’s Confucius Institute in the Discourse of Power in International Relations: A Case Study of the Confucius Institute in Africa

More than 30 countries in the world sponsor a Language and Culture Promotion Organisation (LCPO), disseminating their own languages, cultures and other knowledge to people of different nationalities. The Confucius Institute (CI), as one such organisation, was set up by the Chinese government in 2004. This thesis uses the example of the CIs in Africa to examine the role of the CI in a two-dimensional power analytical framework. This framework was built on the key elements of both traditional understanding of power in international relations and Foucault’s conception of power. In the first dimensional analysis, the CI is seen as a concrete entity. The material and strategic support for the construction and operation of this organistion is elaborated. The second dimensional analysis adopts a Foucauldian perspective where the CI is deconstructed. It demonstrates the CI’s power technology, including its power structure, power techniques and power instruments. By examining the power effects produced by the CI’s power technology, the thesis argues that the CI plays a positive role in promoting China’s national interest in Africa and China-Africa relations.