China’s diplomatic discourse is complicated and is heavily flavored with Chinese characteristics, especially since one of the core goals of Chinese foreign policy under President Xi Jinping is to properly tell the story of China. This cannot be done properly without the correct translation and interpretation of the key ideas and concepts used in contemporary Chinese diplomatic discourse. One of the best examples is the concept of Yi. It is not enough to translate such words in a literal manner from Chinese into English or any other language. They must be translated and interpreted so that they convey the correct political, economic and cultural meaning. This article demonstrates how important it is to properly translate and interpret the concept of Yi as a guiding principle of Chinese foreign policy in Africa.
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