Science and technology communication and construction of China’s international discourse system: Strategic significance, current challenges, and innovative pathways

Against the backdrop of a new round of scientific and technological revolution with the ongoing restructuring of the global governance system, science and technology have become central to competition in national comprehensive competitiveness and struggles for international discourse power. China’s science and technology have achieved a historic leap from “catching up” to “running alongside” and even “leading in certain areas”, providing solid strength support for the construction of an international discourse system. However, the transformation of scientific and technological advantages into discourse advantages remains insufficient, and the international community holds a dual perception of China’s technological advancements—recognition alongside concerns. The root causes lie in misaligned communication concepts, institutional bottlenecks, deviations in cross-cultural communication thinking, and a resource allocation tendency that prioritizes “hard” over “soft” aspects. Grounded in the laws of international communication and centered on the public nature of science, this study closely aligns with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important discourse on “accelerating the construction of China’s discourse and narrative system”. It explores innovative pathways for China’s international science and technology communication from five dimensions: concepts, institutions, mindset, fulcrums, and narratives. The aim is to facilitate the transformation of scientific and technological hard power into discourse soft power, shape a credible, appealing, and admirable image of China’s science and technology, and provide support for international communication and the building of a leading science and technology nation.