The “Material” Logic of Dissemination in the Systematization of the Chinese Story

Technology is profoundly changing social structures. It has not only altered relations between people but has also restructured the relationship between people and objects. The subjectivity of objects is continuously rising, and an object-centered evaluation system is quietly being constructed. Precisely because of the standardization, systematization, and relative objectivity of objects, the efficiency of object-based dissemination is also steadily improving. Objects are beginning to change people’s ways of thinking and modes of interaction. Along with the development of media technology, “everything is media” is becoming a reality. General Secretary Xi Jinping has explicitly called for “telling the Chinese story well and spreading China’s voice effectively.” [1]1 This is a key directive from Xi Jinping, frequently cited in propaganda and cultural work to emphasize the need for China to proactively shape its international image and counter negative narratives. Reflecting on what stories to tell, what to use to tell the Chinese story well, in what scenarios to tell them, and how to tell them are major practical tasks we must accomplish well. Faced with the current flourishing of global commodity exchange, information exchange, tourism exchange, scientific and technological exchange, and other social interactions, it is of even greater practical significance to deeply understand what “objects” are in the process of strategic communication in accordance with the strategic deployment of the Party Central Committee, to construct a system of object dissemination, and to use multidimensional innovative practices to tell the Chinese story well.

技术正在深刻地改变着社会结构，不仅改变了人与人之间的关系，更重构了人与物之间的关系，物的主体性不断上升，以物为中心的评价体系正在悄然构建。正是由于物的标准化、体系化和相对客观化，以物传播的效率也在不断提升。物开始改变着人们的思维方式和交往方式，伴随着媒介技术的发展，“万物皆媒”正在成为现实。习近平总书记明确提出要“讲好中国故事，传播好中国声音”，思考讲好什么故事、利用什么讲好中国故事、在何种场景中讲、如何讲，是我们必须做好的重大实践课题。面对当前全球商品交往、信息交往、旅游交往、科技交往和其他社会交往日盛，按照党中央战略部署深入理解战略传播过程中的何为“物”，构建物传播体系，用多维创新实践讲好中国故事更显重要现实意义。

What to Tell: Focusing on the Dissemination of China’s Path, Concepts, and Models

讲什么：聚焦中国道路、理念和模式传播

A complete story dissemination includes four elements: the storyteller, the story, the storytelling scenario, and the story experiencer. The story itself comprises three major elements: people/objects, events, and principles. However, with technological progress, the storyteller may recede into the background, manifesting through searched knowledge, intelligent voice explanations, virtual reality construction, and the construction of real-world symbols. Regardless, the basic premise of “what to tell” remains unchanged.

一个完整的故事传播包含讲述者、故事、讲述场景以及故事体验者四个要素，其中故事又包括人/物、事和理三大要素。不过随着技术的进步，讲述者会隐藏于后，以搜索到的知识、智能语音讲解、虚拟现实建构以及现实符号建构等方式表现出来，但无论如何“讲什么”这个基本前提未变。

To tell the Chinese story well, one must understand the purpose of telling the Chinese story well, that is, to determine what “principles” to convey. General Secretary Xi Jinping has successively proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, providing Chinese solutions for promoting inter-civilization exchanges and mutual learning and advancing human civilization. [2]2 These three initiatives were proposed by Xi Jinping between 2021 and 2023, outlining China’s vision for global governance, security, and civilizational exchange. Spreading China’s voice effectively and presenting a true, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China means clearly explaining the principles of why the Communist Party of China “can,” why Marxism “works,” and why socialism with Chinese characteristics is “good.” Telling the Chinese story well means embodying the legitimacy and superiority of the Chinese path, Chinese concepts, and Chinese models within the story, thereby making the principles known, understood, and accepted. This not only solves the problem of “being scolded” but also provides all humanity with scientific experience and beautiful aspirations.

讲好中国故事，要理解为了什么讲好中国故事，即要确定讲什么“理”。习近平总书记先后提出全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议和全球文明倡议，为推动文明交流互鉴、促进人类文明进步提供了中国方案。传播好中国声音，展示真实、立体、全面的中国，就是要讲清楚中国共产党为什么“能”、马克思主义为什么“行”、中国特色社会主义为什么“好”这些理，讲好中国故事就是要在故事中体现出中国道路、中国理念、中国模式的合法性和优越性，从而让理为人所知、被人理解、被人接受，不仅解决“挨骂”问题，更为全人类提供科学的经验和美好的向往。

To tell the Chinese story well, one must understand what stories to tell well. From a temporal perspective, this includes telling the story of China, the story of the Communist Party of China, and the story of the New Era we are experiencing. From a content perspective, it means telling the story of the Chinese path, the story of the Chinese Dream, the story of the Chinese people, the story of excellent Chinese culture, the story of China’s peaceful development, the story of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, and the story of ecological and environmental protection. Ultimately, it must clearly explain what “Zhonghua” (Chinese civilization) is and what makes “China” China.

讲好中国故事，要理解讲好什么故事。从时间层面来看，包括讲好中国故事、中国共产党故事以及我们正在经历的新时代故事。从内容上来看，就是要讲好中国道路的故事、中国梦的故事、中国人的故事、中华优秀文化的故事、中国和平发展的故事、共建“一带一路”故事以及生态环保故事等，最终要讲清楚何为“中华”、何以“中国”。

To tell the Chinese story well, one must understand the circumstances in which it is told. Currently, international exchanges and online exchanges are increasingly developed. Regarding stories, people are gradually shifting from “listening” to “experiencing.” The story and the storyteller have become objects to be experienced by the experiencer, with a serious tendency toward materialization. However, relatively speaking, storytellers and story experiencers from different cultures may encounter cultural conflicts. The storyteller is easily objectified by the experiencer, reducing the efficiency of story dissemination. At this point, the advantages of object-based narration and principle-based narration become apparent.

讲好中国故事，要理解在什么情况下讲。当前，国际交往和网络交往日渐发达，对于故事，人们正逐步由“听”转向“体验”，故事和故事讲述者已成为体验者被体验的对象，物化痕迹严重。不过，相对而言，不同文化的故事讲述者与故事体验者可能出现文化冲突，故事讲述者容易被体验者客体化，降低故事传播效率。此时，物叙事和理叙事的优越性便体现了出来。

The most important aspect of telling the Chinese story well is understanding that others need stories with Chinese value. Communication scholar Wilbur Schramm once formulated a famous formula of selection: the probability of selection equals the guarantee of reward divided by the degree of effort. [3]3 Wilbur Schramm (1907–1987) was a pioneering American communication theorist. His “formula of selection” (often called the “fraction of selection”) posits that an individual’s choice of media or information is based on a ratio of expected reward to required effort. From the perspective of effort, the story itself is a form of information dissemination that requires relatively little effort. The guarantee of reward depends on the availability and usefulness of the content. The usefulness of a story is reflected in two levels: First, the optimization of individual experience. At this level, the story’s discourse should embody subjectivity. For example, by telling the story of Chinese culture and civilization well, one can make people appreciate the outstanding continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness of Chinese civilization, thereby generating a sense of cultural affinity. Second, the optimization of individual social life, that is, the usability of principles. At this level, the knowledge conveyed by the story should embody truth, and its values should embody inclusiveness. For example, by telling the story of the CPC’s governance, the story of the Chinese people’s struggle to realize their dreams, the story of China’s adherence to peaceful development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes, and the story of the Chinese people’s fight against poverty, it provides reference and lessons for the governance of other countries.

讲好中国故事，最重要的是要理解别人需要有中国价值的故事。传播学者施拉姆曾列出一个著名的选择公式，即选择的或然率等于报偿的保证除以费力程度。从费力程度来看，故事本身就是一种费力程度较小的信息传播形式。报偿的保证则取决于内容的可用性、有用性。故事的有用性体现在两个层面：一方面，个体体验优化，此时故事话语应体现出主体性来。比如说，通过讲好中国文化和文明故事，让人体会到中华文明突出的连续性、创新性、统一性、包容性以及和平性，从而产生文化亲近感。另一方面，个体社会生活优化，亦即理可用，此时故事传达的知识应体现出真理性，价值应体现出包容性来。例如，通过讲好中国共产党治国理政的故事、中国人民奋斗圆梦的故事、中国坚持和平发展合作共赢的故事、中国人民脱贫攻坚的故事等给其他国家的治理提供借鉴和参考。

What to Use: Emphasizing the Organized and Systematic Presentation of Objects

用什么讲：重视物的组织化和体系化呈现

At a time when literature and narrative are undergoing a material turn, telling the Chinese story well requires clarifying which objects are available. In terms of modes of existence, objects exist in three forms: as symbols, as meanings, and as agents of action. However, in human society, all objects carry the imprint of human activity, invisibly manifesting human subjectivity. Therefore, using objects to narrate requires emphasizing the organization and systematization of objects, achieving the objectification of people and the subjectification of objects. That is, people become objects of viewing or gazing, while objects become subjects of mutual interaction. Objects include people as subjects of social activity, objects as targets of human transformation, and objects as products of human creation—namely, human figures, human-transformed objects, and human-created objects. These “objects” are widely present in the story of China, the story of the CPC, and the story of the New Era.

在文学以及叙事出现物转向之时，讲好中国故事必须厘清何物可用。就存在形式而言，物有符号存在、意义存在和作为行动主体存在三种形式。然而，在人类社会中，任何物均带有人的活动色彩，无形之中呈现出人的主体性。因此，以物叙事，就要重视物的组织化和体系化，做到人的客体化和物的主体化，即人成为观看或凝视的对象，物成为共同交往的主体。物包括作为社会活动主体的人、作为人类改造对象的物、作为人类创造对象的物，即人物、人的改造物和人的创造物等，这些“物”广泛存在于中国故事、中国共产党故事以及新时代故事之中。

Objects embodying the story of China. Chinese civilization has a long and continuous history; Chinese culture is extensive, profound, and dazzling. The cultural heritage embodying Chinese culture and civilization is countless. This includes both tangible cultural heritage—such as ancient sites, ancient tombs, ancient buildings, cave temples, stone carvings, murals, important historical sites, representative buildings, important physical objects from various historical periods, artworks, documents, manuscripts, books and materials, and historically and culturally famous cities—and intangible cultural heritage—such as folk literature, traditional music, traditional dance, traditional opera, quyi (folk vocal arts), traditional sports, recreational activities and acrobatics, traditional fine arts, traditional craftsmanship, traditional medicine, and folk customs.

体现中国故事的物。中华文明源远流长，中国文化博大精深、璀璨夺目，体现中国文化和文明的文化遗产更是数不胜数，既包括古遗址、古墓葬、古建筑、石窟寺、石刻、壁画、重要史迹、代表性建筑、历史上各时代的重要实物、艺术品、文献、手稿、图书资料以及历史文化名城等物质文化遗产，又包括民间文学、传统音乐、传统舞蹈、传统戏剧、曲艺、传统体育、游艺与杂技、传统美术、传统技艺、传统医药以及民俗等非物质文化遗产。

Objects embodying the story of the Communist Party of China. Over more than a century, the CPC has led the people of the whole country in arduous revolutionary and construction work, leaving behind a large number of revolutionary cultural relics. These include: remains of major events, sites of important meetings, former sites of important institutions, former residences of important figures, as well as cultural relics, documents, archives, historical materials, and memorial facilities. These all have sites to be found, objects to be seen, history to be told, and events to be discussed. They embody not only the CPC’s spirit of struggle but also the Party’s journey of struggle and experience in leading the people.

体现中国共产党故事的物。一百多年来，中国共产党领导全国人民开展了艰苦卓绝的革命和建设工作，留下一大批革命文物，如：重大事件遗迹、重要会议遗址、重要机构旧址、重要人物旧居，文物、文献、档案、史料以及纪念设施。它们都有址可寻、有物可看、有史可讲、有事可说，既体现出中国共产党的奋斗精神，也体现出党带领人民的奋斗历程和经验。

Objects embodying the story of the New Era we are experiencing. Currently, China’s social governance experience is rich, and its social governance effectiveness is outstanding. First, this is manifested in films, TV dramas, variety shows, celebrities, and internet influencers that reflect the living conditions of the Chinese people, which have been widely accepted and have become “objects” embodying popular culture. Second, it is manifested in everyday cultural items that showcase the living conditions of the Chinese people, such as food, beverages, utensils, electronic products, tourism, online novels, video games, and online shopping. Third, it is manifested in media platforms, e-commerce platforms, and payment platforms that embody the application of Chinese network technology. Finally, it is manifested in objects representing China’s scientific and technological progress, such as high-speed rail, artificial intelligence, and social security, as well as objects reflecting the key concept of Chinese-path modernization—the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

体现我们正在经历的新时代故事的物。当前，中国社会治理经验丰富，社会治理效能突出。首先，表现为体现中国人生活状态的电影、电视剧、综艺节目、明星、网红等被广泛接受，成为体现流行文化的“物”。其次，表现为展现中国人生活状态的饮食、利益、器物、电子产品、旅游、网络小说、电子游戏、网购等日常生活文化。再次，表现为体现中国网络技术应用的媒介平台、电商平台以及支付平台等。最后，表现为体现中国科技进步的高铁、人工智能、社会安全等物以及体现中国式现代化建设关键理念的人与自然和谐关系之物。

Where to Tell: Emphasizing the Development and Utilization of Life Scenarios

在哪讲：重视生活场景的开发和利用

Unlike human subjects, “objects” as subjects of dissemination and narration require the active participation of the recipient as a human being to complete the telling of the story. Unlike narrative systems constituted by people, object-based narration does not carry subjectivity. It is specifically manifested as objects of consumption and objects of tools. Meaning and value are experienced in the process of consumption, and logic is realized in the process of use.

与作为主体的人不同，“物”作为传播主体和叙事主体，需要作为接受者的人的主动参与，方能完成故事的讲述。与人构成的叙事体系不同的是，物叙事不带有主体性，具体表现为消费之物和工具之物。在消费过程中体会到意义和价值，在使用过程中意识到其逻辑。

Telling the story on media platforms. In the era of traditional media, storytelling was mostly carried out with the self as the subject or by inviting other media professionals to report, thereby telling the story well. In the new media era, everything is media; the vast majority of the public participate as active subjects, and material subjects and human subjects act together to tell the story well. Therefore, making good use of media platforms and allowing materials to participate deeply is itself a way for materials to become the subject of storytelling. In the era of intelligent media, large models have gradually revealed their nature as media platforms, and the possibility of materials as narrative subjects has been further expanded.

在媒介平台上讲。传统媒体时代，讲故事多以自我为主体或邀请其他媒体从业人员报道，进而讲好故事。新媒体时代，万物皆媒，绝大多数公众作为行动主体参与其中，物主体与人类主体共同行动，讲好故事。因此，利用好媒介平台，让物深度参与其中，本身就是物成为故事讲述主体的一种方式。在智能媒体时代，大模型已经逐步展露出媒介平台属性，物作为叙事主体的可能性得到进一步拓展。

Telling the story in daily life. Materials enter daily life, usually in the form of commodities, and also in the form of social interactions. In commodity consumption, commodities as symbols carry a large number of values and cultural temperaments, making people feel trust and reliability. In daily interactions, as objects of the gaze, people are actually materialized; behind usability and reliability lies a kind of respect for and trust in culture.

在日常生活中讲。物进入到日常生活之中，通常是以商品的形式呈现，也以社会交往形式呈现。在商品消费中，作为符号的商品携带着大量价值观念、文化气质，让人们感受到信任与可靠。在日常交往之中，作为被凝视的对象，人其实已被物化，可用性与可靠性背后就是一种对文化的尊重和信任。

Telling the story in overseas consumption activities. Currently, international mobility has increased, and overseas consumption centered on tourism provides an excellent scenario. It allows a series of materials such as clothing, food, housing, and transportation to be displayed. The culture, customs, thinking, concepts, and the achievements of the Chinese Communist Party’s governance naturally emerge from the experience of these materials. The active participation of overseas tourists greatly enhances the subjectivity, agency, and narratability of materials. Through individual experience, tourists are immersed in the scene, and the meaning and value carried by the materials are revealed.

在海外消费活动中讲。当前，国际流动加大，以旅游消费为主体的海外消费提供了一个绝佳的场景，它让衣食住行等一系列物展现其中，由物而体验到的文化、习俗、思维、观念以及中国共产党治国理政的成就便自然呈现。海外游客的主动参与，让物的主体性、能动性和可讲述性大大提升，通过个体体验，游客沉浸于场景之中，物所承载的意义和价值便展现出来。

How to tell: highlighting the functionality and mobilizing power of “materials”

怎么讲：凸显“物”的功能性和动员力

The goal of material narrative is to highlight the value and meaning of materials. Its narrative content can include the background of the material’s generation, as well as its preservation, use, sharing, gifting, consumption, care, and discarding, along with the meaning of the material. The key to letting materials narrate is to make the human subject recede, thereby realizing the assertion of the material’s subjectivity.

物叙事的目标在于凸显物的价值和意义，其叙事内容可包括物生成背景和物的保有、持用、分享、馈赠、消费、呵护和毁弃以及物的含义。让物叙事，重点在于让作为人的主体退隐，从而实现物的主体性张扬。

Forming the concept of “observing things from the perspective of things” [4]4 “Observing things from the perspective of things” (以物观物): A philosophical concept from the Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian Shao Yong, emphasizing objective observation free from personal bias. and uncovering the universal principles behind the story. Shao Yong of the Northern Song Dynasty proposed: “Observing things from the perspective of things is nature; observing things from the perspective of the self is emotion. Nature is public and clear; emotion is biased and obscure.” [5]5 Shao Yong (1011–1077): A Chinese philosopher and cosmologist of the Northern Song Dynasty, known for his metaphysical system. The first “thing” here refers to objective laws, while the second “thing” refers to concrete objects. The concept of “observing things from the perspective of things” is actually about allowing the objective laws of social operation and the objective laws of nature to be revealed in material narrative. Western phenomenology holds that human cognition has the characteristic of “intentionality”; everyone brings their own consciousness into cognition, so there is no objective thing. Phenomenology advocates for “bracketing” [6]6 “Bracketing” (观念悬置): A term from Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology, referring to the suspension of judgment about the natural world to focus on pure experience. concepts to obtain the possibility of communication. Subsequent thinkers have proposed the concept of “dialogue” based on this. At the political level, people often implement communication through consultation and “shelving differences and pursuing joint development.” [7]7 “Shelving differences and pursuing joint development” (搁置争议，共同开发): A diplomatic principle proposed by Deng Xiaoping in the 1970s for managing territorial disputes, particularly in the South China Sea. Of course, the original intention of constructing a material dissemination system is not to use one culture to dominate another, but to allow cultures to intercommunicate, knowledge to be exchanged, experience to be shared, and civilizations to learn from each other, creating a communicable world.

形成“以物观物”理念，发掘故事背后普遍的道理。北宋邵雍提出“以物观物，性也；以我观物，情也。性公而明，情偏而暗”，其前一个“物”指客观规律，后一个“物”则指实物。“以物观物”的观念实际就是让社会运行的客观规律和自然运行的客观规律展现于物叙事之中。西方现象学认为，人的认识具有“意向性”的特点，每个人都会将自我意识带入认知，因此不存在客观之物。现象学主张进行“观念悬置”，从而获得交往的可能性，后世据此提出“对话”观念，政治层面，人们往往以协商和“搁置争议，共同开发”等来具体落实交往。当然，构建物传播体系本意不在于以一种文化驾驭另外一种文化，而是让文化之间可以互通，让知识可以交流，让经验可以分享，让文明可以互鉴，营造一个可沟通的世界。

Highlighting materials as actors, and leveraging the utility and mobilizing efficacy of materials. In everyday contexts, we often use the terms “person-thing” and “object-thing” to distinguish between people and materials, but these terms also indicate that both people and materials can be regarded as things. In online contexts and fan culture systems, whether idols or fans, within the traffic economy system, they have already become highly materialized, becoming materialized media with very high action efficacy. Therefore, selecting materials and making them the subject of the story means focusing on the action efficacy of the materials themselves: we must pay attention both to their utility in helping individuals understand social laws in daily life and their utility in social life, as well as their own capacity for social mobilization and social connection.

突出行动者的物，发挥物的功用和动员效能。在日常语境中，我们经常用人物、事物两词区隔人与物，但此词亦表明人与物都可视为物。在网络语境和粉丝文化体系里，无论是偶像还是粉丝，在流量经济体系里实际上已经高度物化，成为物化的媒介，其行动效能非常高。因此，选择物，让物成为故事的主体，重要的是关注物自身的行动效能：既要关注其在日常生活中对个体认识社会规律的功用性和对社会生活的功用性，也要关注其自身的社会动员和社会链接能力。

Displaying the charm of narrative, and placing materials in universal interconnection. The material system is complex; in theory, each material can reflect everything in social life, that is, seeing the world in a drop of water. However, materials need to narrow their focus and position themselves; that is, each material does not need to perform a comprehensive function, but only needs to focus on part of its function, letting culture embody culture, utility embody utility, governance embody governance, and survival concepts embody survival concepts.

展现叙事的魅力，让物处于普遍联系之中。物体系繁杂，理论上每个物都可体现社会生活中所有的东西，即一滴水可见世界。但是物需要收缩战线，需要定位，即每个物不需发挥全面的功能，仅需重点关注其部分功能，让文化体现文化，功用体现功用，治理体现治理，生存观念体现生存观念。

Building a platform for material narrative, and opening up pathways for civilizational exchange. Telling the Chinese story well and spreading the Chinese voice is not cultural invasion, but rather promoting global mutual learning among civilizations and advancing global exchange. Currently, all media platforms are designed for people, either for display or for use, while platforms centered on materials have not yet been established. Promoting the establishment of material platforms and material narrative platforms is conducive to opening up pathways for mutual civilizational exchange and building a global communication context of mutual understanding, integration, and common ground.

构建物叙事的平台，打通文明交往的路径。讲好中国故事，传播中国声音，并非文化入侵，而是推动全球文明互鉴，推动全球交流。当前，所有媒介平台均为人而设，或为展现，或为利用，而以物为中心的平台尚未建立。推动物平台、物叙事平台的建立，有利于打通文明相互交往的路径，建立相互理解、共融共通的全球交往语境。

(The author is the Executive Director of the Language Intelligence Research Center at Jiangxi Normal University)

（作者系江西师范大学语言智能研究中心执行主任）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧