[SCMP Column] Why the 'China Story Strategy' Fails to Sway Public Opinion

Strengthening Overseas Promotion to Boost Pride in Chinese Culture and History
Minimal Influence on Global Public Opinion and Issues
International Community Distrusts Chinese Media Without Opposition Voices

Ten years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping set a major goal for his country's global propaganda efforts: "Tell China's story well." This was part of the 'power of international discourse' strategy, aimed at properly conveying China's voice in response to Western narratives.

Josephine Ma SCMP China News Editor

In recent years, the so-called 'international discourse power' strategy promoted by Chinese authorities requires the ability to respond to Western narratives and shape international public opinion. Officials have been urged to have confidence in their country's culture, history, ideology, and political system so that the international community can recognize that China's approach to many issues is superior to that of the West.

This policy goal explains why, in recent years, the rhetoric of Chinese officials and state-run media has become more dogmatic and sometimes contradictory. Standing firm and unyielding in the face of Western pressure was seen as the way for China to gain a voice. However, both publicly and privately, officials and state media executives have expressed frustration that China's narrative has done little to move international public opinion.

For example, a November 2022 commentary in the Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, acknowledged that China had difficulty promoting its claims through international media and that its influence was minimal. China poured millions of dollars into propaganda efforts, establishing media outlets overseas, hiring anchors from other outlets including CNN for its official English channel CGTN, and advertising on billboards in New York's Times Square.

Chinese authorities and state media attributed the ineffectiveness of these global propaganda efforts to the prejudice and dominance held by Western media, academia, and the public. As a result, Chinese officials and analysts examined the language used to see how China's message could be better conveyed. They also sought to pursue these goals by expanding social networking services (SNS) overseas.

However, these efforts did not address the fundamental flaws in China's global propaganda activities. One of the biggest reasons is that once an official position is set within the Chinese system, it is disseminated by state media with no room for opposing voices. In contrast, the West is different. Many claims, including criticisms of official positions, are presented from various sources, and anyone can freely express their views.

But in Chinese political culture, even well-intentioned criticism from those who share the same views can be perceived as a challenge or resentment toward the Chinese government. Therefore, the demand to "tell China's story well" is often interpreted as "only talk about China's good aspects." Whether the intention is good or bad, 'criticism' is not welcomed in China. This sometimes leads outsiders to perceive Chinese officials and state media as covering up the truth, even when they are telling it.

Another aspect lies in how the Chinese public service operates from a propaganda perspective. Officials' performance is generally judged by how well they appeal to domestic public opinion and gain approval from their superiors, not by how effectively they persuade global public opinion. In other words, officials are more likely to pay attention to what they say to the media that Chinese people encounter and how their statements are received by their superiors.

Besides efforts to communicate China's position on contentious international issues, China is also eager to expand its soft power through culture. Considering that China's cultural heritage has always attracted global interest, this is relatively less difficult.

From China's perspective, people-to-people exchanges may be an easier approach. However, China should refrain from imposing its views on visitors. Instead of forcing visitors to hear China's claims, it may be better to allow those who visit China to explore and learn on their own.

Josephine Ma, China News Editor

This article is a translation by Asia Economy of the South China Morning Post (SCMP) column titled "Why Beijing is struggling with its mission to ‘tell China’s story well’."