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China’s Strategic Narratives in Italy – A study on Online Promotions between Official and Unofficial Sources

Mazzola, Marco (2022) COSM40 20221
Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University
Abstract
Public diplomacy, public relations, propaganda, and strategic narratives are all under the ‘umbrella’ of soft-power and nowadays’ international relations. Strategic narratives currently represent one of the most essential tools that political actors use to increase their influence on local and foreign audiences, gain public support, and lastly achieve their foreign policy objectives.

This dissertation focuses on China’s strategic narratives and propaganda promoted by one Chinese official source, the Chinese embassy in Italy, and one non-official Italian source, former Undersecretary of the State Mr. Geraci, and the different and similar approaches used to influence the Italian audience on their websites and Facebook accounts. The major... (More)
Public diplomacy, public relations, propaganda, and strategic narratives are all under the ‘umbrella’ of soft-power and nowadays’ international relations. Strategic narratives currently represent one of the most essential tools that political actors use to increase their influence on local and foreign audiences, gain public support, and lastly achieve their foreign policy objectives.

This dissertation focuses on China’s strategic narratives and propaganda promoted by one Chinese official source, the Chinese embassy in Italy, and one non-official Italian source, former Undersecretary of the State Mr. Geraci, and the different and similar approaches used to influence the Italian audience on their websites and Facebook accounts. The major themes employed online were from the 1st of January 2020 to the 30th of June 2020, the first period of the COVID-19 pandemic, were used as empirical data and their meanings were analyzed in the theoretical framework of strategic narratives.

Although the two sources are of totally different nature, these narratives both promote the same Chinese narratives. However, the terms used are at times different, at other times similar. These findings show how China is portrayed and promoted online to Italians with the eyes of a Chinese official source and an Italian non-official source (Less)
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author
Mazzola, Marco
supervisor
organization
course
COSM40 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
China, Italy, Strategic Narratives, Public Diplomacy, Public Relations, Propaganda
language
English
id
9150619
date added to LUP
2024-04-08 13:16:33
date last changed
2024-04-08 13:16:33
@misc{9150619,
  abstract     = {{Public diplomacy, public relations, propaganda, and strategic narratives are all under the ‘umbrella’ of soft-power and nowadays’ international relations. Strategic narratives currently represent one of the most essential tools that political actors use to increase their influence on local and foreign audiences, gain public support, and lastly achieve their foreign policy objectives. 

This dissertation focuses on China’s strategic narratives and propaganda promoted by one Chinese official source, the Chinese embassy in Italy, and one non-official Italian source, former Undersecretary of the State Mr. Geraci, and the different and similar approaches used to influence the Italian audience on their websites and Facebook accounts. The major themes employed online were from the 1st of January 2020 to the 30th of June 2020, the first period of the COVID-19 pandemic, were used as empirical data and their meanings were analyzed in the theoretical framework of strategic narratives.

Although the two sources are of totally different nature, these narratives both promote the same Chinese narratives. However, the terms used are at times different, at other times similar. These findings show how China is portrayed and promoted online to Italians with the eyes of a Chinese official source and an Italian non-official source}},
  author       = {{Mazzola, Marco}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{China’s Strategic Narratives in Italy – A study on Online Promotions between Official and Unofficial Sources}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}