This paper argues that both the US and China tend to be branding herself in consistency withtheir own traditional sense of self to fulfill their own self-fulfilling prophecy or to fulfill their ownsense of an ideal image.While the US tries to present herself as an individual(national)selfwho is strong(a rugged individual believing in aggressiveness and seeking hard power),likableor attractive(soft power)and intelligent(smart power),China tries topresent herself as acommunal and moral self whose ideal self-image/lianmian is civilized(wenmin)and peace-loving,upholding the vision of building a harmonious society, harmonious Asia and a harmonious world.Through branding the US style,the US seems to be trying to maintain her superpower status fromfurther declining.China,however,is caught between presenting an image of a dragon who isaggressive in seeking peaceful jueqi(a forceful rise to the status of a globalpower)andpresenting an imageof a panda who is seekingpeace and development.While China is obsessedwith the concept of lianmian/image,the US is obsessed with the concept of power.Whilelianmian/image is rooted inthe Confucian/Daoist concept of junzi(gentlemanhood)andshengren(sagehood)who practices moral cultivation,values selflessness,co-humanity or interest sharing(liyi gongxiang)and harmony,the concept of power,whether itis hard,soft ar smart,originatesfrom Francis Bacon and is self-centered,self-motivated and self-serving.
Wenshan Jia
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International Academy for Intercultural Research Department of Communication Studies Chapman University
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