Event Details

LUCC Research Seminar with Shangzhen Zhu, Visiting PhD Scholar from Xi'an Jiaotong University

This study examines how discursive power is constructed and exercised within the World Trade Organization (WTO), with a focus on the negotiation of the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement. Using a mixed-methods approach—including computational text analysis (BERTopic, NER, co-occurrence networks) and discourse analysis of official WTO documents—I trace China’s discourse strategies and coalition-building practices in shaping the IFD agenda. Through a case study of China’s role in the “Friends of Investment Facilitation for Development” (FIFD) group, this study analyzes the micro-dynamics of power as revealed through linguistic representations and narrative construction. The study offers a nuanced understanding of contemporary power dynamics in global trade governance.