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Are Foreign Publics Interested in News About China? Analysis of a Cross-National Survey

Sun, May 24, 12:00 to 13:15, Caribe Hilton, Grand Salon Los Rosales

Abstract

Against the background of the increasing political and economic influence of China and the Chinese government’s efforts on public diplomacy, this study examines the extent to which the publics in various countries are interested in news about China. Drawing upon a cross-national survey conducted in 10 countries in 2009 and 2010, the analysis shows that China has attracted a level of global public attention comparable to other regional powers in the world. At the national level, interest in news about China is significantly related to amount of news about China on a nation’s television newscasts and to trade volume between a nation and China. At the individual level, people with higher levels of education and income, as well as people who are more interested in the international political economy when consuming foreign news, are more likely to express an interest in news about China. Implications of the findings are discussed.

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