National Image Research Articles

Shaping China's National Image Through Infrastructure: Business Communication Strategies under the Belt and Road Initiative

With the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, the global investment and construction activities of Chinese infrastructure enterprises such as China Construction and China Railway have significantly improved the national image and brand awareness. However, in this process, these enterprises face challenges such as cultural differences, information gaps, and local people's doubts about foreign investment. This study explores how Chinese infrastructure companies shape the country's image through effective business communication strategies in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative. Through literature review and case study, this study will focus on the communication strategies adopted by Chinese infrastructure enterprises in countries along the Belt and Road, and how these strategies affect local consumers' perception and trust in Chinese brands. The study reveals that successful communication cases not only enhance brand recognition, but also increase consumer trust in the quality and efficacy of the program. In addition, cultural communication strategies are essential in different markets, helping enterprises integrate into the local society and improve their brand image. This study provides a new perspective and ideas for the brand communication of Chinese infrastructure enterprises in the international market. I contribute theoretical support for future academic research in related fields.

The Construction of National Image in Chinese Olympic Reporting—Transitivity Analysis Based on China Daily’s Coverage of the Paris Olympics

The Construction of National Image in Chinese Olympic Reporting—Transitivity Analysis Based on China Daily’s Coverage of the Paris Olympics

The Current Distribution of Chinese Athletes with High Commercial Value and the Reasons for Its Formation

Although the Paris Olympics ended, the heat of the event has not subsided. The commercial value of athletes has been continuously explored, and the commercial value of athletes plays an important role in driving national economic growth. Using mathematical statistics, literature, and comparative analysis, this paper examines the distribution of the commercial value of Chinese athletes by focusing on three aspects: whether the athletes’ sports are traditional popular sports in the general sense, the degree of professionalization of the athletes’ sports, and the gender of the athletes. The study found that Chinese athletes with high commercial value are concentrated in niche, highly professional, and female sports. The main reason for this is that China’s strength in traditional popular sports is not outstanding, but niche and women’s sports are more reflective of today’s popular pursuit of individuality and national image. This study provides many meaningful benchmarks for future research in this direction, most importantly providing a theoretical basis for the trend that the commercial value of Chinese athletes has gradually shifted from niche events to traditional mass events.

국가 홍보 영상 트렌드 변화의 기호적 분석을 통한 국가 브랜드 고찰 - 한국의 홍보 영상을 중심으로

Now, the term brand has been extended to a broad sense used not only by companies but also by countries, cities, and individuals. In addition, it is used to increase competitiveness, away from the use of simply distinguishing it from other brands, and each country is working to increase the national brand value. To this end, each country is making various efforts to develop a positive national image and promote it by national branding, and as a methodology, they use a lot of promotional videos. In this study, a trend analysis of preference perspective was conducted on the videos of 'Imagine Your Korea', a YouTube channel of the Korea Tourism Organization that focuses on overseas promotion of Korea, and an in-depth analysis was conducted on the representative videos using Roland Barthes' theory of preference interpretation. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that various concepts and new expression methods were attempted, and it was confirmed that the promotion strategy was changed through video cases that have become various issues. In addition, it was possible to confirm the trend of positive promotional videos that took advantage of traditional culture, cutting-edge convergence, and K-culture, but it seems that various other materials need to be discovered.

STUDYING IMAGES-SYMBOLS AT UKRAINIAN LITERATURE LESSONS

Admitting that literature is an art of the word, we should acknowledge that students’ work at the level of language organization of the text, which includes images-symbols, is of great importance. The paper’s author reveals his own methodological and literature studies propositions concerning an important didactical problem, i.e. the complex study of images-symbols on the basis of chronotopical structure of literature sources, their ideas and themes, word expression of symbolical creations. The main idea of the paper is that comprehension of images-symbols, their contents and artistic value should be based on the complete systematic analysis of a piece of literature, being a part of it. Images-symbols should be treated as specific «debris» (H.-G. Gadamer) of an artistic structure of the text in which they are an organic part and therefore can be explained only as its component. The author illustrates his statements with the help of enormous literature material, included to the school curriculum. This include works by T. Shevchenko («Caucasus»), P. Kulish («The Black Council»), I. Franko («Faded Leaves», «Jay’s Wing», «The Legend about Eternal Life»), M. Kotsiubynskyi («Intermezzo»), V. Stefanyk («The Stone Cross») etc. It is demonstrated on the example of some of these pieces of literature that symbolic images play a unifying and generalizing role in the organization of a literary text, ensuring the expression of author’s main ideas. This is why the scientist suggests studying symbolic images at the final stage of literary work analysis, when students have mastered the entire system of meanings, which are embedded in the text, and the specificity of their figurative expression with the help of many other means used by the writer. As a result, the study of symbols becomes a kind of climax in the comprehension of a literary source by schoolchildren, becoming the quintessence of the artistic picture that students are trying to master. Therefore participants of the educational process should be given the task to comprehend author’s understanding of key worldview phenomena, i.e. the images of cosmos (nature), God, man, society and nation.

Metaphorical discourse in Beijing Winter Olympic news: a Trinocular Perspective analysis of language, cognition, and social functions.

This study utilizes the "Trinocular Perspective" metaphor analysis framework to delve into the language, cognition, and social functions of metaphors in news coverage of the Beijing Winter Olympics and their interactions, thereby revealing the role of metaphors in shaping and articulating the narratives within Olympic news communication. The research indicated that, at the linguistic level, metaphors enhanced the expressiveness and appeal of news discourse through diverse forms and dense distribution. At the cognitive level, metaphors fostered a deeper public understanding of abstract concepts such as the Olympic spirit, the values of a community with a shared future for mankind, China's national image, and the concept of sustainable development. On the social function level, metaphors will play a pivotal role in building social identity, disseminating values, highlighting social issues, and promoting social change. The language, cognition, and social functions of metaphors were closely interwoven, with linguistic expressions enriching cognitive frameworks, cognitive frameworks guiding the internalization and dissemination of social values, and social functions guiding public cognition through the strategic use of metaphorical language. This study reveals the critical function of metaphors in elevating the narrative richness and dissemination efficacy within the journalism of large-scale international sports competitions.

Imaginary Political Reality: Constructing the National Image

Imaginary Political Reality: Constructing the National Image

Does culture matter? Thai perception of international tourist misbehaviors and its consequence

ABSTRACT International tourist misbehaviors not only damage tourism sustainability, but are believed to have implications for national image and international relations. This study investigated Thai views of international tourist misbehaviors via a mixed method design. It found that residents attribute international tourist misbehaviors to host–guest cultural differences, and that the misbehaviors do not significantly affect their support for international tourism. Contextualized interpretation of such findings indicates the important role of Thai culture in shaping residents’ perspectives on international tourists and tourism. The study suggests a need for a cultural approach to understanding residents’ perceptions of tourism in countries such as Thailand.

Combating Manipulation and Encouraging Destructive Behavior as an Element of Political and Legal Culture

Negative spiritual and moral impact can be one of the manifestations of information confrontation within the framework of a hybrid war and can become a threat to the national security of modern Russia. This can be an impact on the political and legal culture of Russians through manipulation and encouragement of destructive behavior. The purpose of the study is to propose a system of measures to counter the threat of negative spiritual and moral impact. The axiological method was chosen as the main research method. Manipulation is considered as part of the strategy of opponents of modern Russia represented by the collective West, the encouragement of destructive behavior is a recognizable element of the policy of Westernization of culture, under the influence of which Russia has been for several decades. Counteraction to this threat should be comprehensive and based on both political and legal measures. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of measures to overcome the consequences of manipulation and encouragement of destructive behavior among Russians. Political measures and legal initiatives of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation are separately highlighted. The degradation of culture will inevitably lead to the degeneration of the nation, the loss of its national image, self-identity, sovereignty and support in life. Only joint efforts and responsibility of the state and society can lead to a positive result in the fight against manipulation and the encouragement of destructive behavior and form a developed and mature political and legal culture.

A074: National Image, National Brand, and Heritage of Major Sports Events

Background/Purpose: The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, with the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, were Olympic Games held in Beijing after 2008. Its Olympic heritage is more macro, comprehensive, and distinctive of China, and is an important resource for China's subsequent development. The cultural heritage of the Beijing Winter Olympics, as a world-renowned historical landmark, has a sustained endogenous driving force for the national image and brand building. Although there has been some research on Olympic heritage, it has mainly focused on the Summer Olympics, with relatively few studies on the heritage of the Winter Olympics. The current research on the heritage of the Winter Olympics has mainly discussed the definition and evaluation methods of heritage or analyzed individual categories of heritage such as venue preservation, with less exploration of heritage development strategies. In addition, although existing research has yielded certain results in the subsequent development of heritage from previous Winter Olympics (such as the Vancouver Winter Olympics), each Winter Olympics has its own specific environment and background, and its Olympic heritage also has its own unique characteristics. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a specialized analysis of the heritage of 2008 Beijing Winter Olympics. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of the Beijing Winter Olympics heritage, the purpose of this study was to explore issues such as how to utilize these features in the process of national branding, and ultimately what kind of national image should be formed. Methods/Design: A semi-structured interview was conducted to collect key experiences, opinions, and lessons learned from stakeholders in the construction of selected national brands and the Winter Olympics, to have a deeper understanding of the details of national image construction, national brand development, and the Beijing Winter Olympics and its heritage. Based on the list of stakeholder types mentioned in the literature, the criteria of the population most likely to answer research questions based on their first-hand experience, and expert knowledge of large-scale events, 12 subjects were selected to participate in this study, including members of the Organizing Committee for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, partners and sponsors of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, important mainstream foreign media journalists, academic researchers from domestic and foreign universities in the impact of large-scale events and national brand research. Interviews were conducted from January to June 2022, covering the preparation, organization, and review of the Winter Olympics, providing interviewees with objective evaluation and reflection space. Due to the pandemic, the interviews were mainly conducted online through three apps: Skype, Zoom, and We Chat. The interview was digitally recorded and transcribed with the informed consent of the interviewees, and the interviewee's interview materials were encoded. The collection of data takes saturation as the node until no more information appears. Through constant comparison and inductive analysis, this study developed the relevant characteristics of the cultural heritage of this Winter Olympics and conducted discussions on this basis. Secondly, to make the text materials more detailed and abundant, online ethnography was used, relying on mainstream domestic and foreign online platforms, focusing on comments on the Winter Olympics cultural heritage and national image in the "online community", as part of the source of this research text. Results: The heritage of the Winter Olympics presented four important features that can be utilized in brand building: (1) consensus, resonance, and progress: a major country striving for world unity; (2) Green, environmentally friendly, and sustainable: the business card of the "Double Olympics City"; (3) People oriented and responsible big country: important achievements in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic; (4) Kind, joyful, and youthful: Happy Winter Olympics and sports stars. These features were derived from China's early planning and have been successfully perceived internationally. The dissemination effect was good. Therefore, in subsequent development work, those features should be utilized as a focus and highlight. Conclusion: As an important connotation and clear goal of the cultural heritage of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the benefits of a national brand are considered a key achievement of the host country’s activities. This study specifically analyzed the unique features provided by the Beijing Winter Olympics that can create a national brand, and clarified the interrelationships between major sports events, the development of the host country's national brand, and image building work. Considering the long-term and important nature of national brand building, further research is needed to explore the specific media products and forms in which the characteristics of the Winter Olympics heritage can be applied, as well as how different media products should be coordinated.

The role of sports mega-events in China’s unique soft power strategy

This article investigates the contribution of states’ soft power strategies to the process of East Asia’s increasing global economic and political significance. We identify hosting sports mega-events as key to such strategies and thereby seek to add to both the literature on regional ‘soft power’ and acquiring it through sport. Using East Asia as the focus, we concentrate on China’s leveraging of the Beijing 2008 and 2022 Olympics for soft power gains. We show that China’s propaganda system is also part of their soft power strategy, which tends to focus primarily on domestic soft power. Our findings indicate that China cares about its national image abroad but places greater emphasis on attaining domestic soft power. Knowing that China’s understanding of ‘soft power’ is distinctly different from the ‘West’ allows greater insight into their approach to regional and international soft power acquisition.

A study on the design of a universal signage system for the Ruijin Soviet cultural heritage site

Ruijin, the birthplace of China’s first red regime, has always been the core of the central revolutionary base. Integrating the design of cultural heritage sites with universal signage systems is an effective way to protect and pass on red cultural heritage while promoting the continued dissemination of the national image. In heritage site tourism, the signage system is crucial in guiding, indicating, and explaining, serving as a critical component of essential public infrastructure. Given Ruijin’s rich and historic red cultural resources, the design of the signage system must consider the diverse needs of visitors from different nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and age groups. This study adopts a universal design perspective, using the red cultural heritage of the Ruijin Soviet period as a case study. It constructs universal metadata from three key aspects: Cultural Type, Data Attribute, and Data Type. These elements are then visually represented through digital technology. The study also incorporates theoretical support from semiotics, Gestalt psychology, cognitive psychology, and semantics. Through surveys, in-depth interviews, and a “structure-humanity” composite evaluation method, we thoroughly explores the relationships between perception, comprehensibility, visual cognition, and the design of universal signage systems. Additionally, the study analyzes the key factors affecting the universality of the signage system. The results indicate that visual cognition positively impacts the design of universal signage systems. Key factors influencing the universality of signage systems include symbolic element modeling, the familiarity of graphics, the semantic distance of graphics, and the rationality of graphic usage. These findings offer a strategy for creating a universal signage system guided by the heritage routes and based on the dimensions of perception, comprehensibility, and visual cognition. It provides new methods and perspectives for cultural education and heritage preservation in Ruijin and other red cultural heritage sites.

Re-imaging a country beyond its conflict: evaluation of an Israeli public diplomacy intervention for youth in Germany

AbstractOutcome evaluations of public diplomacy programs remain scarce. Addressing this gap, this study evaluated Israel Project Day, a seminar-based Israeli intervention designed to improve Israel's image among German youth. The intervention provides a unique real-world application of the “Life in Israel” model that spotlights Israel’s cultural diversity and achievements beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pre-post design and mixed-linear models, the study shows that participation significantly improved overall attitudes toward Israel, interest in Israeli society, and perceptions of Israel as a democratic, multicultural, and safe place. Although the program avoided direct conflict-related messages, it facilitated more favorable views on Israel's policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, demonstrating potential spillover effects to the conflictual-political realm. Additionally, effects on German-Israeli cooperation and responsibility were modest, highlighting a challenge for the Israeli-German unique relationship. Finally, the effects on interest in Israeli society and politics and support for German-Israel cooperation were stronger for participants with low media exposure. By moving away from conflict-centric presentations and focusing on contributions and advancements, nations like Israel can potentially cultivate a more positive national image. Practical implications are discussed for crafting impactful outreach, upscaling, and sustaining flexible efforts attuned to sociopolitical developments and challenges.

Study on the Presentation of China's National Image in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Hangzhou Asian Games from the Perspective of Semiotics

In the presentation of international image, shaping the country with the help of the language of cultural symbols has also become an important way of cross-cultural communication in today's era. The Hangzhou Asian Games has become a widely acclaimed event both at home and abroad, and one of its essences lies in the fact that it has skillfully borrowed many cultural symbols with consensus, realizing a high state of dialogue in the international communication arena.

Analyzing Multimodal Construction of China’s Image Based on the Illustrated Articles in The Economist

The shaping of national image is a two-way process, including “self-shaping” and “shaping by others”. Magazines are one of the important channels for disseminating information. Taking The Economist’s China-related reports in 2023 as a case, this article focuses on 195 reports on politics and diplomacy as well as economy, conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of the visual images from the perspective of visual grammar, and further exploring the multimodal construction of China's image in The Economist. The research shows that the images in The Economist fully realize the representational meaning, interactive meaning and compositional meaning. In terms of the representational meaning, narrative representation is the major process. Images that reflect the reactional process, action process and symbolic process are used more frequently. In terms of the interactive meaning, “offer” images, long shot images and images with horizontal perspective appear more frequently. In addition, information value, salience, and framing are interrelated to achieve the compositional meaning. The political and diplomatic image of China constructed by The Economist is that China is a country with increasing power, which is authoritarian internally and threatening externally. In terms of economy, China is portrayed as a country with a fast growing economy which can withstand the global economic crisis, but its economic prospects are not optimistic, and the “China threat theory” still exists.

Ukrainian Nationalism in the Propaganda of the bolshevik’s and modern Ideology of the russian Imperialism

The study compares how “Ukrainian nationalism” was interpreted in the Soviet press and the texts of contemporary ideologues of Russian imperialism. The way in which Ukrainian nationalism and its alleged followers were dehumanized during the trial of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine in 1930 (using the example of the texts of Andrii Khvylia, Mykola Skrypnyk and publications of the magazine “Bolshevik of Ukraine”) was examined. The image of Ukrainian nationalism presented in public statements that preceded and accompanied the full-scale war from 2022 was analyzed (texts of Timofey Sergeytsev, the address of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin). In the widely circulated texts, the authors accused the “nationalists” of espionage, treason, moral degeneration and the preparation of a coup d’état, which can be defined as hate speech. Communists and contemporary ideologues construct the image of the enemy, using accusations in a mirror that Ukrainian nationalists commit terror or genocide. They depict their victims as aggressors and themselves as victims, justifying violence against Ukrainians as preventive measures. Contemporary Russian ideologues, in particular Timofey Sergeytsev, claim that Ukrainians, hiding behind the rhetoric of independence, profess fascist, racist and Russophobic ideology. Putin and Sergeitsev rejected the Soviet style of hate speech according to which Ukrainian nationalism was bourgeois and therefore criminal. They repeat the pre-Bolshevik imperialist interpretation of the “Ukrainian question”, according to which Ukraine is an integral part of Russia. Therefore Ukrainian nationalism is criminal because it wants to destroy Russian-Ukrainian unity. For Sergeytsev, Ukrainian nationalists are criminals because they pursue a racial policy against Russians, introduced discriminatory laws, committed genocide in the Donbass, commit mass violence and murder of Russians, and established a dictatorship unrestricted by law. The accusations made at the SVU trial were repeated during the Holodomor in the party’s official documents and Joseph Stalin’s correspondence with his supporters, and were directed at Ukrainian peasants and members of the Communist Party (bolshevik) of Ukraine. These accusations can be considered evidence of the desire to eradicate Ukrainian nationalists through artificial hunger and terror, which was facilitated by the cultivation of the image of the enemy in the previous years. The texts of modern Russian ideologues not only construct the image of the enemy, but also outline a consistent program of murders and Russification of Ukrainians and, according to the assessments of jurists and historians, indicate the intention to commit genocide. Keywords: Bourgeois nationalism, Union for the Freedom of Ukraine trial, Andrii Khvylia, hate speech, image of the enemy, de-Nazification, Russophobia, Timofey Sergeytsev.

Exploring factors influencing Koreans’ intention to visit Japan through decision tree analysis: focusing on discharge of ALPS-treated water and low-yen perception

ABSTRACT In this study, factors influencing Koreans’ intention to visit Japan were examined using a decision tree. It is known that a negative national image generally adversely affects the intention to visit tourist destinations. Japan and Korea have maintained various political, economic and historical conflicts from the past. However, Koreans accounted for the largest proportion of tourists visiting Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the decision-making process for Koreans’ intention to visit Japan and analyse the priority of influencing factors using a decision tree. As a result of the analysis, low-yen perception, historical animosity, interest in treated water, cultural familiarity and age were identified as major influencing factors. These results confirm that changes in Koreans’ perceptions of Japan are progressing despite the fact that the anti-Japanese sentiment towards Japan still exists. Such changes are affecting the selection of tourist destinations. This study is significant in that it considers factors influencing international tourism demand from various perspectives by inputting various predictive variables such as politics, economy, social culture and so on.

Interpretation of Western Images from a Postcolonial Perspective: A Case Study of Antonioni's Documentary Chung Kuo - Cina

This paper employs textual analysis and postcolonial theory to explore Michelangelo Antonioni's 1972 documentary Chung Kuo - Cina. The study delves into the film's portrayal of Chinese culture, people, and environment, focusing on how these depictions either reinforce or challenge Western audiences' expectations and prejudices. Antonioni's documentary is analyzed for its use of symbolism, cinematographic techniques, and scene selection in constructing an "exotic" image of China. Through a postcolonial lens, the paper examines how the documentary demonstrates Orientalist perspectives, reflecting Western stereotypes and biases towards China. Furthermore, it explores the broader implications of these representations in the context of cultural exchange and power dynamics. The analysis also considers the historical and political backdrop of the film's production, including the Cultural Revolution and China's efforts to shape its international image. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how visual media shape and disseminate national images in cross-cultural contexts, highlighting the complexities of postcolonial identity construction and the enduring impact of Orientalism in contemporary visual culture.

Study on National Image Construction and International Communication in CHINA ON THE MOVE Amid Deconstructionism and Constructivism

National image documentary is a key part in shaping a country’s brand, fostering cultural exchange. However, China has faced challenges in presenting a dynamic and multidimensional national image on the global stage. In recent years, China has intensified its international communication efforts, leveraging various media formats to portray a more comprehensive image. The paper critically analyzes the contradictions inherent in the construction of national image and its overseas translation and communication, focusing on the biases of logocentrism and egocentrism. Taking China on the Move as a case study and examining its production, characterization, narrative, and translation strategies to summarize patterns and practices from a series of high-quality Sino-foreign co-produced documentaries. The analysis explores how the deconstructionist strategy of decentralization contributes to the joint-shaping of national image, and how an emphasis on marginalization reflects broader societal structures through the lens of ordinary lives. The deconstructionist translation strategy underscores the translator’s active role and the importance of “creative rebellion”. Conversely, the constructivist strategy elucidates the underlying logic of China’s image for international audiences, promoting empathetic communication by seeking common ground while acknowledging differences. The constructivist translation strategy also imposes necessary limitations on “creative rebellion” to ensure coherence in the translation process.

The Image of Childhood in the National World Model of the Yukaghir Poet Nikolai Kurilov

The article examines the image of childhood in the national world model in poems written in Russian in 1985–2020 by the Yukaghir poet Nikolai Kurilov (b. 1949). It includes a number of significant components, including the way of life of the family where children grow up, models of adequate national behavior of children and adults who make up the child’s immediate circle. The identified complex reflects the current stage in the evolution of the Yukaghirs’ ideas about childhood. Children’s fiction, along with folklore, has become a transmitter of the national model of the world. Childhood is represented by miniature sketches of events that are currently taking place or have just happened (a similar form of depiction was borrowed from Russian children’s literature), however, the peculiarities in the development of Yukaghir literature for children are associated with filling the form adopted from Russian literature with elements of their own national representation of the world. N. Kurilov’s interpretation of the image of childhood, based on his personal experience, falls within the framework of the national worldview. Ideas about childhood are formed by Yukaghirs’ traditional way of life and modern life, which are not opposed to each other, but are integrated in the national image of the world.