Abstract:

Richthofen’s “Seidenst Rossen” constructs China as “the other” and his discourse is typical “Eurocentrism”. “Seidenst Rossen”, a historical symbol connecting the East and the West, has always been a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and the West. The Belt and Road Initiative, derived from the “Seidenst Rossen”, is a metaphor for “human community with a shared future” and involves many ultimate issues. The “Needham Question” ignores the differences between eastern and western scientific paradigms, which embody two completely different discourse paradigms. In that light, from the perspective of discourse and desire, the relevant issues between East and West as different discourse paradigms can be well interpreted. It looks at two divergent but complementary cultures from the perspectives of linguistic relativity and cultural diversity, and seeks for the psychological identity between “the one” and “the other”. Its purpose is to construct the discourse power of the East.

Key words: F. Richthofen, Seidenst Rossen, Belt and Road Initiative, discourse paradigm