The uncompromising confrontational argumentative style of the spokespersons’ replies at the regular press conferences of
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
According to van Eemeren’s expose about the theoretical notion “argumentative style” (
2019: 153–171), each of the four stages of an argumentative exchange in a certain institutional context can have its own
argumentative style, but all of them may well belong to the same general category (for instance, “detached” or “engaged”). As the start of a
broad project investigating argumentative styles used in the spokespersons’ argumentative replies at the regular press conferences of
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this paper focuses on the uncompromising confrontational style prototypically used by the spokespersons
in responding to journalists, which is characterized by argumentative moves instrumental in strategies of silencing the other party,
distracting the other party, and pressuring the other party. By means of an analysis of three argumentative replies given by Chinese
spokespersons, this paper shows how this particular confrontational style takes shape and facilitates the spokespersons’ confrontational
maneuvering by being at the same time detached.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Confrontational style as argumentative style
- 3.The uncompromising confrontational style manifested in the spokespersons’ argumentative moves
- 3.1Argumentative moves aimed at silencing the other party
- 3.2Argumentative moves aimed at distracting the other party
- 3.3Argumentative moves aimed at pressuring the other party
- 4.Maneuvering strategically with an uncompromising confrontational style
- 5.Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
References
References (6)
References
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Wu, P. (2019a). Confrontational maneuvering by dissociation in spokespersons argumentative replies at the press conferences of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Argumentation 33(1), 1–22. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
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Wu, P. (2019b). “I have no comment”: Confrontational maneuvering by declaring a standpoint unallowed or indisputable at the press conferences of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Argumentation 33(4), 489–519. ![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
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Cited by (3)
Cited by three other publications
Wu, Peng & Tian-bao Zhou
2023.
Argumentative patterns based on pragmatic argumentation at China’s diplomatic press conferences.
Discourse Studies 25:4
► pp. 549 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
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