A Cross-cultural Analysis of Two China-US Game Cases and Tobacco Control Compliance

Abstract

Objectives: This paper aims at exploring the China-US relations by analyzing the communication strategies and game intentions in two case studies and the cultural roots herein. Guided by the water and game theory for intercultural communication (WGICC) and cultural analyses, this study has found that in Case 1, China and the US have established initial win-win ties because of a mutually-beneficial trade system, the US intention to gain international recognition, and the romantic expectations of each other. In Case 2, both countries have suffered great losses due to the US pursuit of reinforced national identity and revitalized conservatism which set the stage for an endless line of plots to contain China. In return, China has been practicing a tit-for-tat strategy backed up with its grand ambition to forge a community with a shared future for mankind and ready to fight against containment and suppression from both the US and its allies. This study suggests an interactive pattern of win-win cooperation based on common needs and similar interests, and loss-loss confrontation based on real and imaginary fear while manifesting that the greatest Dao is expressed in the simplest terms. The findings can shed lighton appreciating China’s efforts in such domestic campaigns as tobacco control compliance and Covid-19 prevention and its diplomatic relations with other nations.