Social Media and e-Diplomacy in China

Scrutinizing the Power of Weibo

verfasst von: Ying Jiang

Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan US

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

As with many spheres of public life, public diplomatic communication is being transformed by the boom of social media. More than 165 foreign governmental organisations in China have embarked on the use of Weibo (a hybrid of Facebook and Twitter in China) to engage with Chinese citizens and reach out to youth populations, one of the major goals of current public diplomacy efforts. This exciting new pivot, based on systemic research of Weibo usage by embassies in China, explores the challenges and the limits that the use of Chinese Weibo (and Chinese social media in general) poses for foreign embassies, and considers ways to use these or other tools. It offers a systematic study of the effectiveness and challenges of using Weibo for public diplomatic communication in and with China. Addressing the challenges of e-diplomacy, it considers notably the occurrence of cyber-nationalism on Weibo and encourages a critical look at its practice, arguing how it can contribute to the goals of public diplomacy.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Social Media Landscape Differences Between China and the West

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction and Background Knowledge

Abstract

Draws out the sketch of what the “problem” this thesis is dealing with, and clarifies the fundamental question this thesis examines: Is China’s cyber-nationalism bringing any challenges to foreign embassies’ practice of e-diplomacy in China? If it is, what sort of challenges is cyber-nationalism bringing to e-diplomacy?

Ying Jiang

Chapter 2. Social Media Context in China and Global PR Theory

Abstract

This chapter sets up the background and provides the theoretical foundation of this book. Background briefing includes the social media landscape in China, nationalism waves in China, and Grunig’s global PR theory.

Ying Jiang

Analyzing the Embassies’ Use of Weibo

Frontmatter

Chapter 3. Scanning the Foreign Use of Weibo

Abstract

This chapter introduces the practice of e-diplomacy on Weibo by foreign embassies in Beijing. The key aim of this chapter is to bring an overall picture of foreign use of Weibo and identify the top five embassies that use Weibo frequently. It seeks to address three gaps in existing knowledge by empirical research. Firstly, at present, we simply do not know—in a systematic sense—what foreign embassies are doing on Weibo. We do not know which embassies have the most followers on Weibo, how often they Weibo, and what they are posting about. Secondly, this chapter seeks to address the fact that we do not have a clear understanding of the benefit that foreign embassies are gaining from the Chinese online platform. It is not clear that what these benefits are due to their Weibo behavior. Finally, this chapter seeks to address the deeper question: what the uptake of foreign embassy users of Chinese social media—and Chinese Weibo in particular—means for public diplomacy. Does Weibo offer better ways for public diplomacy workers to communicate with potential audience, or is it instead a fragmentary, dangerous, and disempowering distraction?

Ying Jiang

Chapter 4. Foreign Embassies’ Use of Weibo

Abstract

“The Use of Chinese Social Media by Foreign Embassies: Interactivity VS Influence,” focuses on measuring the interactivity of those foreign embassies’ Weibo accounts. It was found that awareness does not imply positive influence. Defining public diplomacy (PD) as communication with foreign publics for the purpose of achieving a foreign policy objective, PD practitioners should be cognizant that information is different than influence Wallin (The challenges of the Internet and social media in public diplomacy, American Security Project, 2013). It was also found and echoed by other researchers that the number of followers does not necessarily equate a strong connection with an audience. An account might have a million followers say nothing, even though a post gets retweeted 1000 times per day, it doesn’t indicate whether those followers are supporting or against the user’s communication goals.

Ying Jiang

Chapter 5. A Close Case Study: Kunming Terror Attack and Embassy’s e-Diplomacy via Weibo

Abstract

This chapter aims to demonstrate empirically the challenges posed by Chinese cyber-nationalism in the practice of e-diplomacy on Weibo.

Ying Jiang

Public Diplomacy and Weibo

Frontmatter

Chapter 6. Weibo as a Public Diplomacy Platform

Abstract

“Weibo as a public diplomacy tool”, borrows the “three-dimension framework” from Bjola and Jiang (in: Bjola and Holmes (eds) Digital diplomacy: theory and practice, Routledge, New York, 2015), discusses each dimension in relation to the empirical data in previous chapters.

Ying Jiang

Chapter 7. Implications of the Western Use of Weibo and Global PR Theory

Abstract

Implications of foreign embassies’ use of Weibo and global PR theory dissects PR strategy and tactics into several dimensions and discuss them accordingly.

Ying Jiang

Chapter 8. Conclusion/Open-Endedness

Abstract

This chapter reminds the reader the backgrounds the book sits against, and reviews the major themes raised in this book as a way to conclude.

Ying Jiang

Backmatter

Titel: Social Media and e-Diplomacy in China
verfasst von: Ying Jiang
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan US
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-137-59358-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-59664-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59358-0