1. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used narratives of heroism, supremacy, and strength to gain political legitimacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Strategic narratives are important for authoritarian regimes to maintain stability and legitimize their practices.
3. The CCP's narratives during COVID-19 were interwoven with nationalism, references to historic times, and visions of a bright future to create an "autocratic appeal" and win acceptance from the public.
The article titled "The Role of Narratives for Gaining Domestic Political Legitimacy: China’s Image Management during COVID-19" discusses the use of narratives by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to gain political legitimacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the article provides an interesting analysis of the CCP's narrative strategies, there are several potential biases and limitations in its content.
One potential bias in the article is its focus on the CCP's use of narratives for gaining domestic political legitimacy. The article suggests that narratives are particularly important for autocratic leaders to gain support during crises, but it does not explore how these narratives may be used to manipulate or deceive the public. The article also does not consider alternative perspectives or counterarguments to the CCP's narratives, which could provide a more balanced analysis.
Another potential bias in the article is its reliance on state media sources, such as People's Daily and Global Times, for data collection. These media outlets are known to be controlled by the CCP and may not provide objective or unbiased information. By relying solely on these sources, the article may present a skewed view of the CCP's narrative strategies.
Additionally, the article makes unsupported claims about the effectiveness of authoritarian crisis narratives for regime survival and legitimizing coercive practices. While it is true that narratives can play a role in shaping public opinion and gaining political support, there is no empirical evidence provided to support these claims in relation to China's response to COVID-19.
The article also fails to address potential risks or negative consequences of using narratives for political legitimacy. It does not discuss how these narratives may contribute to misinformation or propaganda, or how they may undermine trust in government institutions. By omitting these considerations, the article presents a one-sided view of narrative strategies without acknowledging their potential drawbacks.
Furthermore, there are missing points of consideration in the article. For example, it does not discuss how China's censorship and control over information may have influenced the narratives presented by the CCP. It also does not explore how the international community has responded to China's narrative strategies or how these narratives may have affected China's global reputation.
Overall, while the article provides some insights into the CCP's use of narratives for political legitimacy during COVID-19, it is limited by its potential biases, unsupported claims, and missing points of consideration. A more comprehensive analysis would consider alternative perspectives, address potential risks and drawbacks of narrative strategies, and provide a more balanced view of the topic.