Unpacking CCP’s ‘Community of Shared Future for Mankind’: A Discourse-Historical Perspective on PRC’s Global Governance Narratives

How does China challenge liberal international order through discourse rather than direct confrontation? This paper examines the Chinese Communist Party’s Community of Shared Future for Mankind (CSFM) concept as sophisticated discursive infrastructure designed to legitimize China-centric global governance while appropriating liberal terminology. Using Discourse Historical Approach methodology, this paper analyzes official bilingual documents from 2015-2023, comparing the 2023 CSFM white paper with the 2021 “China: Democracy That Works” white paper. The analysis reveals that rather than rejecting liberal concepts outright, the CCP retains familiar terminology while fundamentally redefining core concepts such as democracy, consultation, and common values through strategic ambiguity, recontextualization, and euphemization. This creates discursive convergence without normative alignment. Apparent terminological agreement masking fundamental ideological divergence. The findings demonstrate how CSFM provides framework for normative realignment within existing international institutions rather than their wholesale replacement, offering crucial insights for understanding contemporary norm entrepreneurship and China’s approach to global governance transformation.