A1 Journal article (refereed)
Educating the United States on the ‘China threat’ (2025)


Pennanen, H.-R. (2025). Educating the United States on the ‘China threat’. International Relations, OnlineFirst. https://doi.org/10.1177/00471178241310758


JYU authors or editors


Publication details

All authors or editorsPennanen, Henna-Riikka

Journal or seriesInternational Relations

ISSN0047-1178

eISSN1741-2862

Publication year2025

Publication date04/01/2025

VolumeOnlineFirst

PublisherSAGE Publications

Publication countryUnited Kingdom

Publication languageEnglish

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1177/00471178241310758

Publication open accessOpenly available

Publication channel open accessPartially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX)https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/99365


Abstract

This article studies representations of China as a threat in the United States with a particular focus on the years of the Trump presidency, and on actors networked in and around the administration. The research questions are: how is the ‘China threat’ image constructed through representations, and with what intentions? The article contributes to IR studies on state-based threats in general, and studies on the current US-China relations in particular. The empirical analysis shows that in representing China, the actors intentionally or unintentionally tapped onto multiple IR theories and in the process, they created a compelling blueprint for threat images. The intention of the actors was then to ‘educate’ the US with this ‘China threat’ image. This intent to educate had the objective of invoking threat perception, and thus receive public and political support for the strategies and policies the actors proposed to counter the threat. This observation leads to a proposition that threat representations have the potential to influence threat perceptions/misperceptions. Therefore, a cultural studies perspective of represented ‘China threat’ images – as adopted in this article – can complement political psychology studies of ‘China threat’ images held by individual and collective elites.


Keywordsimage (profile)representation (mental objects)threats

Free keywordsChina; image; representation; threat; United States


Contributing organizations

JYU units:


Ministry reportingYes

VIRTA submission year2025

Preliminary JUFO rating1


Last updated on 2025-25-01 at 20:25