University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law
Publication Date
Fall 2025
First Page
1037
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This Article is broadly about the relationship between narratives and international legal behavior. It is specifically about the relationship between narratives about the nation-state, and how individuals think about sovereignty. In the main discussion, I introduce a cross-disciplinary theory which brings into view the national narrative’s role in shaping sovereignty thinking. To illustrate the narrative theory, I discuss the phenomenon of Chinese diasporic sovereignty, denoting the tendency of some PRC officials to ascribe to the nation-state some measure of sovereignty authority over the overseas Chinese, including non-nationals. I argue Chinese diasporic sovereignty, constituting a departure from norms of territoriality and nationality, is informed by modern narratives of what it means to be “Chinese.” The theory more broadly suggests international law can be viewed as a process driven by actors who are situated, introspective, and shaped by the stories they tell themselves. This bears theoretical and practical lessons, not least for conventional understandings of international legal behavior.
Repository Citation
Xuan W. Tay,
How National Narratives Shape the Sovereignty of Nation-States,
46
U. Pa. J. Int’l L.
1037
(2025).
Available at:
https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/jil/vol46/iss4/4