The Influence of China's Public Diplomacy in the United States: A Case Study of the Image of China Reflected in Mainstream U.S. Newspapers
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Lu, Mei-Li
Abstract
With the implementation of its reform policy over the past three decades, China’s national power and international influence has grown dramatically. To address concerns regarding the growth of its national power, China has attempted to demonstrate to the world through the tactic of public diplomacy that China’s rise is peaceful, and that it is a responsible country whose growing stature will not come at the expense of any other country.
This project chose two of the most influential and widely circulated mainstream newspapers in the United States, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, as sources of data through which to understand China’s national image in the U.S. In particular, this project analyzed editorials addressing issues related to China during the period from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2010. It did so by observing variations in China’s national image during that time and comparing the influence of China’s public diplomacy during particular events, including the 2005 Chinese currency revaluation and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
This project concludes that China’s national image in the U.S. mainstream newspapers exhibited“high visibility, low valence”. Meanwhile, “timing,”“value,” “shakeholder relations,” and“countermeasures”were the four major factors influencing the effects of Chinese public diplomacy. These findings echo the judgment made by Joseph S. Nye: “Public diplomacy is an important tool in the arsenal of a smart power, but smart public diplomacy requires an understanding of credibility, self-criticism, and the role of civil society in the generation soft power. If it degenerates into propaganda, public diplomacy not only fails to convince, but can undercut soft power.”China is too big to be ignored by the American mainstream newspapers, but if it does not recognize the importance of credibility, self-criticism, and the role of civil society, the massive resources invested in public diplomacy will not produce a positive national image in return, but in fact could serve to undercut China’s soft power.
Subjects
Public Diplomacy
Soft Power
National Image
Type
thesis
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