Abstract

The production patterns and fluctuation of meanings of China’s image evolute in the tension within discourse field of powers.Multiple discourse spaces of the image of China involve different power relations，which are intertwined，interrelated，and influenced by each other，with the combination of both identifications and interruptions.The power relations imply a triangular relationship of official discourses，folk discourses and occidental discourse，which gives rise to the presentation of expressional structure，production patterns and fluctuation of meanings of China’s image.The representation of China’s image in documentary films，which changes over time and is saturated by multiple relationships of identities，confronts plights involving construction both by“others”and self-identification，stemming from manipulating relations and tensions within discourse fields of power.

My dissertation examines contemporary documentary films，in the hope of discussing the discourse power under the triangular relationship of official discourses，folk discourses and occidental discourse，and then conducts a systematical analysis over the construction of subjectivity of China’s image.It not only observes the patterns，history and reality of China’s image，scrutinizing the terrain and inner structure of it；but also concerns about the operational logics of its discourse power，i.e.the discourse power system which manufactures the image of China.Two dimensions are presented as following：the first concerns production patterns of China’s image and its dynamics，stressing on the attempted manipulation over it by multiple discourse power system；the second investigates the construction of subjectivity over China’s image under the triangular relationship.

The dissertation is divided into 4 parts.In the first part，two documentary films and their understandings，concepts and creations of China’s image are compared within the triangular relationship of official discourses，individual and occidental discourses，in order to discuss their respective systems of representation，and the production of meaning and operation of discourse power revealed by it.The second part selects Tian’an Men Square，Tibet and the Three Gorges as examples of symbol systems delivering the image of China.This part dissects specific discourse fields of powers under the triangular relationship.The imagery utilization and connotations of these three symbol systems on China’s image vary from western documentaries to those from official discourses，and then to the independent ones，which implicates great social tension and explanatory space.

The third part examines China’s image in three different genre of documentaries：foreign ones，Chinese independent ones shown abroad，and those made by Chinese overseas.This part seeks to reveal the struggle for the rights in formulating the image of China，which is taken place by different discourse subjects.Behind the struggle，there will be deep-rooted discourse order and power relations under scrutiny.The fourth part discusses the construction of subjectivity under the triangular relationship of official discourses，folk discourses and occidental discourse.Comparing with the alien construction of China，Chinese have their self-construction of China’s image，which can only be completed within the triangular relationship of the three discourses presented above.

The triangular model provides a chance of scrutinizing the image of China in a multidimensional approach.The influence of different standards and values gives rise to two possibilities：one is the struggle in getting rid of western-defined，orientalized view of China；the other is the probable reconciliation of the contradictory images of China，which allows different discourses conduct mutual constructions and dialogues with each other.

Key Words：China’s Image；Discourse Power；Triangular Relationship；Contemporary Documentaries；Subjective Construction