[The Rise of China: Media Perception and Implications for International Politics]

By

Acknowledgement

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Abstract

In recent years, the rise of China as an emerging great power has been widely perceived across the world. How has the rise of China been represented over time in the Western news media? Has the image of China as a rising power had any impact on the country's soft power? These questions remain unanswered but answering them is of great significance in helping us understand the impact of the news media on the transformation of international politics in the information age. This paper conducts a longitudinal study to examine the nature of Chinese coverage and explores how the image of a rising China—economically, politically, regionally and globally—has been represented in three transnational newspapers in Europe. It further argues that the Western media coverage of China's rise is as a soft power, which, to some extent, has an impact upon China's foreign relations.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT4

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION6

Purpose of the Study8

News media and China's image8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW11

Media information and policy-making11

The development legal system16

Chinese characteristics of its legal system17

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY21

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION24

Change of volume24

Change of content distribution by subject26

Placement of Chinese stories29

Analysis of the findings33

Media perception of China's rise37

Discussion: media coverage of China's rise as a soft power44

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION54

END NOTES57

Chapter 1: Introduction

In the information age, the nature of power, as argued by Professor Nye of Harvard University, is changing. The importance of soft power—the ability to get others to want the outcomes that you want through attraction rather than coercion—has been widely noted in international politics.1 Soft power is the power of attraction. Attractiveness is embedded in what is called a nation's 'brand'. The basic assumption is that territorial entities such as countries, regions and cities can now be branded like companies and products.2 Nation branding stresses the mobilization of all of a nation's forces that can contribute to the promotion of its image ('country image') abroad.3 The image of a country, said Anholt, determines the way in which the world sees it and treats it.4

In an article for the Wall Street Journal Asia in 2005, Nye clearly stated that China's soft power was rising, even though at this stage it is still far from being America's equal.5 He pointed out that 'Success depends not only on whose army wins, but also on whose story wins'.6 The news media act as referees for the credibility or legitimacy of soft power resources and as important instruments for branding the nation in public diplomacy.7 They help to build the image of a particular ...