IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v11y2024i1d10.1057_s41599-024-02669-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital diplomacy and domestic audience: how official discourse shapes nationalist sentiments in China

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaowen Zhang

    (Renmin University of China
    Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

  • Yuxin Tang

    (South China Normal University)

Abstract

This article aims to reveal the domestic implications of China’s digital diplomacy by centring the interaction between official diplomatic discourses and Chinese nationalist sentiments. Examining diplomatic discourse presented by Chinese foreign affairs spokespersons and the related nationalist comments of the Chinese domestic audience, this study illustrates the dynamic interplay between official diplomatic discourses, the salience of other, and nationalist sentiments. The findings suggest that China’s digital diplomatic discourse can influence the dynamic of domestic nationalist sentiments. A positive diplomatic tone contributes to more positive nationalist sentiments through an enhanced sense of national identification. Conversely, a negative tone of diplomatic discourse tends to generate more negative nationalist sentiments through intensified social comparison and derogation, particularly in the presence of salient foreign others. The study puts forward the theoretical commensurability between digital diplomacy, social identity theories, and nationalism construction. It also offers practical insights into China’s multifaceted nationalist communication and digital diplomacy strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaowen Zhang & Yuxin Tang, 2024. "Digital diplomacy and domestic audience: how official discourse shapes nationalist sentiments in China," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-02669-3
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-02669-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-02669-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-024-02669-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leonie Huddy & Nadia Khatib, 2007. "American Patriotism, National Identity, and Political Involvement," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(1), pages 63-77, January.
    2. Yiwei Wang, 2008. "Public Diplomacy and the Rise of Chinese Soft Power," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 616(1), pages 257-273, March.
    3. Zhao Alexandre Huang, 2022. "“Wolf Warrior” and China’s digital public diplomacy during the COVID-19 crisis," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 18(1), pages 37-40, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jesper EDMAN & Riki TAKEUCHI, 2021. "Do Japanese Expatriates Matter for Foreign Subsidiary Performance? A Role-Based Analysis of Three-Wave Panel Data," Discussion papers 21046, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    2. Frederick Solt, 2008. "Diversionary Nationalism: Economic Inequality and the Formation of National Pride," LIS Working papers 495, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    3. Konrad, Kai A. & Qari, Salmai, 2012. "The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel?," Munich Reprints in Economics 13960, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    4. Erspamer, Christopher & Della Torre, Francesca & Massini, Giulia & Ferilli, Guido & Sacco, Pier Luigi & Buscema, Paolo Massimo, 2022. "Global world (dis-)order? Analyzing the dynamic evolution of the micro-structure of multipolarism by means of an unsupervised neural network approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. Jitka Veselá & Robert Zich, 2015. "The Country-of-Origin Effect and its Influence on Consumer's Purchasing Decision," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 63(2), pages 667-673.
    6. Shuai Zhang & Jiannan Du & Huiji Yue & Gui’an Li & Dian Zhang, 2023. "Study on the National Identity Education Intentions of Pre-Service Teachers: Evidence from PLS-SEM and fsQCA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-23, August.
    7. Marlene Mußotter, 2022. "We do not measure what we aim to measure: Testing Three Measurement Models for Nationalism and Patriotism," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2177-2197, August.
    8. Gerhard Reese & Oliver Lauenstein, 2014. "The Eurozone Crisis: Psychological Mechanisms Undermining and Supporting European Solidarity," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-12, March.
    9. Gabriele Prati & Elvira Cicognani & Davide Mazzoni, 2019. "Cross-border friendships and collective European identity: A longitudinal study," European Union Politics, , vol. 20(4), pages 649-669, December.
    10. Chau-kiu Cheung & Xiaodong Yue, 2023. "National Experiences and Trust in China’s National Government Among Hong Kong Chinese Youth," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 99-117, August.
    11. Wu, Sihong & Fan, Di, 2023. "Taking two to tango: A comparative nationalism view of cross-border acquisitions," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(3).
    12. Andrea Pavón-Guinea & Mónica Codina, 2024. "Public diplomacy: a framework-based literature review and decentering research agenda," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 20(3), pages 255-274, September.
    13. Gazi Islam, 2020. "Psychology and Business Ethics: A Multi-level Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 1-13, August.
    14. Sihong Wu & Di Fan & Liang Chen, 2022. "Revisiting the Internationalization-Performance Relationship: A Twenty-Year Meta-Analysis of Emerging Market Multinationals," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 203-243, April.
    15. Yanling Zhu, 2023. "The Greater Bay Area: film festivals as platforms for cultural diplomacy," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 19(3), pages 335-344, September.
    16. Natalie J Shook & Holly N Fitzgerald & Shelby T Boggs & Cameron G Ford & Patricia D Hopkins & Nicole M Silva, 2020. "Sexism, racism, and nationalism: Factors associated with the 2016 U.S. presidential election results?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, March.
    17. Joseph P. Daniels & Emily Kapszukiewicz & Marc Ruhr, 2020. "International Trade Policy Preferences: The Impact of Patriotism and Nationalism Pre- and Post-9/11," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 48(1), pages 87-98, March.
    18. Jay J. Van Bavel, 2022. "National Identity Predicts Public Health Support During A Global Pandemic," HKUST IEMS Working Paper Series 2022-81, HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies, revised Jul 2022.
    19. Tingting Hu & Tianru Guan & Yilu Yang, 2024. "Connecting gender role attitudes among China’s youth to perceptions of the state: a bottom-up approach," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    20. Hulya Ercan, 2017. "Self-Construal and Demographic Variables as Predictors of Blind and Constructive Patriotism in University Students," International Journal of Higher Education, Sciedu Press, vol. 6(6), pages 170-170, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-02669-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.