Tailoring International Discourse: Translation Strategies in the Arabic Version of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" (Volumes I & II)

How does China tailor its international discourse for different readerships through translation? The translation of Chinese political discourse into English has been widely investigated, with studies on media language, political rhetoric, and the works of Chinese leaders, particularly the case of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" (hereinafter referred to as "The Governance"), edited by Foreign Language Press. However, its Arabic counterpart has received far less attention, despite China’s growing importance in the Middle East. Focusing on a selection of speeches on international diplomacy from "The Governance" (Volumes I & II) in the Arabic and English versions, this research explores how translation strategies tailor China’s political discourse to different audiences, foster reader engagement, and establish proximity to the intended readership. The thesis is structured into three chapters. The first chapter provides historical and geopolitical context, covering China’s relations with Arab countries, the strategic importance of the Middle East to Beijing, and the role of Chinese economic and cultural soft power in the region. The second chapter turns to "The Governance", discusses its domestic and international functions and traces the development of the Arabic edition. The third chapter presents a comparative analysis of the Arabic and English editions and investigates how translation strategies influence the perception of China’s discourse among different readerships. The study concludes with an overview of key findings on translation strategies and reader engagement patterns, followed by a bibliography. The full texts of the analyzed speeches have been transcribed and included in the appendix for reference.