Building a Network to “Tell China Stories Well”: Chinese Diplomatic Communication Strategies on Twitter

Authors

  • Zhao Alexandre Huang University of Paris-East, Laboratory of DICEN-IDF
  • Rui Wang Louisiana State University

Keywords:

China, public diplomacy, Twitter, network communication

Abstract

The phrase “tell China stories well” (jianghao zhongguo gushi) is an important guide to China’s approach to public diplomacy. Uttered by Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2013, this phrase is an encouragement to use China’s own communication channels to promote and testify to official Chinese views and opinions and to strengthen the international influence of China. While social media diplomacy in China is still in its infancy, the Chinese government has launched a few diplomatic Twitter accounts to develop its public diplomacy network and to post stories about China for a global audience. Using a mixed-methods approach (i.e., manual coding, computer-assisted content analysis, network analysis, and discourse analysis), we examined how the Chinese government has mobilized a small number of diplomatic Twitter accounts to build a communication network and pursue the external propaganda goals of the Communist Party of China.

Author Biographies

Zhao Alexandre Huang, University of Paris-East, Laboratory of DICEN-IDF

Assistant Professor at the University of Paris-East Marne-la-Vallée, and Contractual Ph.D. candidate in Communication Science at the University of Paris-Est. He works in DICEN-IDF laboratory. His ongoing Ph.D. thesis focuses on China’s public diplomacy and strategic communication in Africa. As a former journalist of China National Radio, he studies institutional practices, political and public communication strategies, the strategic narrative in the process of public diplomacy. His research interests include public diplomacy, strategic communication, public relations, and social media.  Phone number: +33 (0)6 61 42 59 28

Rui Wang, Louisiana State University

Rui Wang earned his Ph.D. from the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University. His research interests include social media analytics, strategic communication, and international communication. Phone number: +1 818-405-3566

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Published

2019-06-30

Issue

Vol. 13 (2019)

Section

Articles

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