Reframing China

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Frontmatter

2. 1. Why TikTok? The Platform, Its Popularity, and Its Politics

   Shaoyu Yuan

   Abstract

   This chapter introduces TikTok’s rapid ascent from a Chinese start-up to a global cultural force with over a billion users. It examines the app’s unique blend of entertainment, algorithmic personalization, and community features that distinguish it from Western competitors like YouTube and Instagram. Special attention is given to TikTok’s ownership structure and its fraught position between China and the United States. The chapter also compares TikTok to its domestic counterpart, Douyin, highlighting how different regulatory and ideological environments shape content. Ultimately, it frames TikTok not simply as a platform for leisure but as a contested political actor situated at the intersection of culture, technology, and geopolitics.

3. 2. Soft Power and Power Transition Theory

   Shaoyu Yuan

   Abstract

   Here the book reframes soft power as an ideological project embedded in language, culture, and narrative construction. The chapter develops hypotheses on how TikTok functions as a vehicle for narrative power, testing whether the platform systematically amplifies pro-China content and constrains critical perspectives. It situates TikTok within China’s broader ideological strategy, alongside education diplomacy and institutional engagement. The analysis dissects how language choices, cultural symbols, and ideological framings converge in short-form content to reshape perceptions of China. Far from a neutral platform, TikTok emerges as part of a multi-layered infrastructure of influence that subtly contests U.S. dominance.

4. 3. Constructing Influence: Content, Language, Culture, and Ideology

   Shaoyu Yuan

   Abstract

   Here the book reframes soft power as an ideological project embedded in language, culture, and narrative construction. The chapter develops hypotheses on how TikTok functions as a vehicle for narrative power, testing whether the platform systematically amplifies pro-China content and constrains critical perspectives. It situates TikTok within China’s broader ideological strategy, alongside education diplomacy and institutional engagement. The analysis dissects how language choices, cultural symbols, and ideological framings converge in short-form content to reshape perceptions of China. Far from a neutral platform, TikTok emerges as part of a multi-layered infrastructure of influence that subtly contests U.S. dominance.

5. 4. Competing Platforms: TikTok, YouTube, and the Battle for Perception

   Shaoyu Yuan

   Abstract

   This chapter presents the book’s comparative core: a cross-platform study of TikTok and YouTube. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines manual content analysis with AI-assisted sentiment analysis of over thousands of user comments across politically sensitive keywords. The results reveal systematic differences: TikTok tends to skew toward positive portrayals of China and critiques of Western hypocrisy, while YouTube displays more critical perspectives. The chapter highlights how algorithms, moderation rules, and engagement cues like pinned comments shape discourse differently across platforms. In doing so, it shows how platforms themselves become agents of soft power, mediating what global audiences watch and share.

6. 5. Beyond the Screen: Western Pro-China Influencers and Electoral Implications

   Shaoyu Yuan

   Abstract

   Expanding beyond algorithms, this chapter examines the role of Western influencers who promote pro-China narratives on TikTok. It identifies three categories: those with personal ties to China, ideological activists, and sponsored creators, and analyzes how their content blends cultural storytelling with political messaging. These actors enhance the platform’s soft power by embedding state-aligned narratives in authentic, user-generated voices. The chapter also considers TikTok’s impact on democratic processes, from viral disruptions of political rallies to youth-driven electoral mobilization. Together, these cases demonstrate how TikTok blurs the boundary between cultural diplomacy and political intervention, raising urgent questions about sovereignty and democratic resilience.

7. 6. The Future of Digital Influence: Power, Policy, and the Global Order

   Shaoyu Yuan

   Abstract

   The final chapter synthesizes the book’s findings and projects them into the future. It evaluates regulatory responses in the United States and Europe, from divestiture demands to data localization and algorithmic audits, and situates them within a larger contest over digital sovereignty. The chapter closes by synthesizing TikTok’s cultural and political functions, contrasting its narrative management with YouTube’s, and arguing that international politics now lives in digital feeds: governing platforms like TikTok is inseparable from governing world order.