The Role of Science and Technology in UK Narratives about China: The Case of Synthetic Biology

This chapter analyses British media narratives about Chinese synthetic biology, a cutting-edge field of science focused on redesigning living organisms with applications in the development of new medicines, chemicals or in agriculture. Synthetic biology is an area that has acquired great significance in Chinese policymaking and attracted attention in global debates about China, not least given its centrality for the strategy for bioeconomy development and considerable public investment it received. The chapter explores the coverage of Chinese synthetic biology in leading British media outlets, and it identifies three sets of dominant media narratives related to benefits and opportunities, risks and threats, and ethics. The chapter situates these findings in relation to key debates in international relations and science and technology studies. It shows how the coverage of synthetic biology is bound up with wider debates and controversies surrounding the rise of China and the role of emerging technologies.