Narratives and Perceptions: Chinese Soft Power in the 21st Century

The change in the global position of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) twenty years ago has been dramatic. The first two decades of the twenty–first century has seen China transform itself into the world’s second largest economy and become one of the leading nations in the world. This unprecedented development has brought the country into direct contact with almost every nation in the world, and the policies and actions of Chinese leaders are now closely followed world–wide daily. As with all major political actors, praise and criticism are now directed towards the
decision–makers in the PRC and their policies and actions, to a previously unseen degree. To manage its enormous power, promote its agendas and bold enterprises, gain trust of foreign counterparts, and allay perceived criticism of its actions, the Chinese government has become increasingly adept at using several strategies to convey its messages to its global audience, as well as to the Chinese population. These strategies function as a form of soft power, and are intended to display that the PRC, unlike other global players and principally the United States, has not committed itself to the use of hard power, in the form of overt military force, but is a trustworthy and responsible partner. As the papers in this volume show, these strategies are achieved by different means, including propaganda, reliance on censorship and coercion and use of party–state controlled media, among others.

Edited by: Carmen Amado Mendes and Daniel Cardoso

ISBN: 978-972-8586-60-7
Editores: CCCM
Edição: Lisboa, 2022 | Idioma: Inglês | Nº Páginas: 181
Dimensões: 230x150x12 mm
Peso: 308 g