Broadcasting as an Instrument of Public Diplomacy in the PRC in the Era of COVID-19 (on the Example of the Xinhua News Agency)

Abstract

Over the past few years, the PRC has been actively striving for world leadership, but China's strengthening of its positions in the international arena is hindered by the fear of the «Chinese threat» and the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to establish itself as a peaceful and responsible participant in international relations, China has used the soft power of public diplomacy. The «soft power» of public diplomacy aims at dialogue with foreign public opinion, the establishment of trusting relationships that are the key to international cooperation, promotion of national interests and values that is best represented by international media. One of the instruments of public diplomacy and Chinese «soft» influence has become the Xinhua News Agency, which broadcasts to an international audience. Xinhua News Agency is today the leading provider of online news content in the PRC. In the course of the research, the author concluded that the activities of Xinhua are not able to improve significantly the positive image of the country. Positioning itself as a party media that performs the ideological and informational functions of a state news agency, Xinhua is not only promotes content about the achievements of the PRC in the political, social and cultural spheres, but also discredits those political forces in the West that China views as hostile. Under these conditions, public diplomacy will certainly turn into ordinary state propaganda, which negatively affects China's international image.