Politics behind the law: unveiling the discursive strategies in extradition hearings on Meng Wanzhou

Abstract Deciphering the hidden political implications in legal discourse has become hot foci in the study of international politics to unravel the political roles and positionings of various stakeholders in law as well as its enforcement and adjudication. Drawing on CDA approach, this study provides a text mining of 12 extradition hearings on Meng Wanzhou case. The findings of the present study indicate that the case is in the name of law but actually with the nature of politics in the context of the U.S.–China trade war. It also demonstrates evidence of manipulation of political power and reframing of the event occurrences throughout the texts of the 12 hearings, by exerting the repetitive use of a bundle of legal discursive strategies. The violation of justice and equality in the legal discourse around the present case is based on the superior status of the U.S. in contrast with Canada in the discursive practices as well as the political contemplation of Canada, resulting in challenges to the fundamental principles of rule of law around the world. This research furthers the understanding of the strategies and entanglement of justice and injustice, power and control in the process of discourse construction.