Opinion In China Research Articles

Key Factors Influencing Public Attitudes Toward Charities' Involvement in Emergency Management: A Study Based on Online Public Opinion in China.

Charities play a pivotal role in engaging the public in emergency management efforts. They serve to complement governmental restrictions by leveraging social resources to aid in emergency management. The involvement of charities in emergency management is likely to shape public attitudes, thereby influencing their effectiveness in this sphere. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence public attitudes toward charities in emergency management is crucial. This study sought to identify these key factors and offer recommendations for charities to enhance their participation in emergency management. The data for this study were collected from messages and comments on two prominent instant messaging platforms, WeChat Public and Sina Weibo. Content Analysis was employed to categorize the data, and the Apriori algorithm was utilized to uncover association rules and key factors. Based on the key factors, it is recommended that charities focus on collaborating with celebrities and enterprises, prioritize establishing and upholding a positive reputation, and enhance their expertise in emergency management practices.

Corporate Violations and Audit Opinions: Warning Effect or Uncovering Effect?

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the impact of corporate violations on audit opinions in China. Using the sample of Chinese listed A-share companies over the period 2004–2020, we find that corporate violations increase the likelihood of modified audit opinions (MAOs). Corporate violations increase MAOs likelihood by increasing agency costs, weakening internal control, improving earnings management, and reducing corporate profitability. The effect is more significant for firms with a lower proportion of female executives, higher risk preference of executives, and lower quality of information disclosure. These results have important policy and managerial implications, illustrating how agency conflicts stemming from corporate violations can influence audit opinions.

Exploring the Innovative Path of Comprehensive Management of Dynamic Online Public Opinion in China Under the Threshold of New Media

Internet public opinion is a dynamic process of change, which is characterised by hiddenness, suddenness, complexity and volatility. The governance of online public opinion is a systematic project that involves network communication, government governance, social organisations, public will and other subjects. Strengthening the comprehensive governance of online public opinion requires innovating governance concepts and mechanisms to solve the problem of online public opinion at source; strengthening institutional construction and collaborative governance to improve the mechanism for managing online public opinion; enhancing professional skills and media literacy to improve the ability to govern online public opinion; and innovating information dissemination means and methods to enhance the dissemination efficacy of online public opinion. By innovating governance concepts and mechanisms, integrating social resources, improving the construction of the network communication system, and enhancing the media literacy and professional skills of netizens, the capacity and level of network public opinion governance will be enhanced.

Legitimate Defense in Abused Women who Killed the Abuser: A Case Study Post-Guiding Opinion in China

Legitimate Defense in Abused Women who Killed the Abuser: A Case Study Post-Guiding Opinion in China

Testing influences of openness, conscientiousness, nationalism, media diversity, social class, and informational echo chambers on support for official responses to COVID-19 in Wuhan in November, 2020.

As the COVID-19 pandemic raged, controversies about governmental responses to the epidemic also emerged in China. Previous studies mainly described the phenomenon of individual differences on support for governmental responses to COVID-19 with less attention to the underlying causal mechanisms. Thus, this study tries to verify the factors influencing public support for official behaviors in COVID-19. A questionnaire survey was drew on in Wuhan city during the COVID-19 outbreak. The quota sampling method was adopted according to the gender and age structure of the population in Wuhan as well as the educational structure of the urban population in China. Through structural equation analysis, this study confirms that personal factors (namely conscientiousness and nationalistic ideology), behavioral factors (namely media diversity and echo chamber acts) exert significantly positive impacts on support for governmental responses. The echo chamber acts play important mediating roles in the relationship between each independent variable and support for governmental responses. The originality of this study is that it constructs a comprehensive model of influencing factors of support for governmental responses with the personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. While contributing insight to political attitude in China, the research results also have significance for promoting public trust and constructing healthy public opinion in China.

Anti-Asian Racism and the Rise of Hawkish Mass Opinion in China

Abstract The dramatic increase in anti-Asian racial violence in the United States during the pandemic has sparked debates on issues of domestic racial justice and deep-seated racism against Asian Americans. Political scientists, however, have paid relatively little attention to how growing anti-Asian racism might affect contemporary U.S.-China relations, especially by shaping foreign policy discourses and public opinion in China. In this article, I investigate the way the Chinese state media discuss the issue and how such top-down discourses shape mass political attitudes and foreign policy preferences in China. Analyzing the Chinese state media coverage of anti-Asian racial violence, I first find that Chinese official narratives frame the issue as a manifestation of both racially motivated American foreign policy and problems with American democracy. By conducting a nationwide survey experiment in China, I then examine the impact of such top-down political rhetoric on public support for hawkish foreign policies. I find that these political narratives significantly boost racialized and nationalist sentiments among the Chinese masses, which, in turn, garner greater public support for hawkish foreign policy. This article contributes to understanding the foreign policy implications of anti-Asian racism after the global pandemic and the potential racialization of Sino-American great-power competition.

Do Chinese Citizens Conceal Opposition to the CCP in Surveys? Evidence from Two Experiments

Abstract Most public opinion research in China uses direct questions to measure support for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and government policies. These direct question surveys routinely find that over 90 per cent of Chinese citizens support the government. From this, scholars conclude that the CCP enjoys genuine legitimacy. In this paper, we present results from two survey experiments in contemporary China that make clear that citizens conceal their opposition to the CCP for fear of repression. When respondents are asked directly, we find, like other scholars, approval ratings for the CCP that exceed 90 per cent. When respondents are asked in the form of list experiments, which confer a greater sense of anonymity, CCP support hovers between 50 per cent and 70 per cent. This represents an upper bound, however, since list experiments may not fully mitigate incentives for preference falsification. The list experiments also suggest that fear of government repression discourages some 40 per cent of Chinese citizens from participating in anti-regime protests. Most broadly, this paper suggests that scholars should stop using direct question surveys to measure political opinions in China.

How Propaganda Affects Public Opinion in China: Evidence from the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT During a national crisis, can state propaganda shift public opinion, and if so, in what direction? Existing studies show that the effects of state propaganda on public opinion in China are mixed. Analysing data from an online survey experiment conducted during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, this article finds that the Chinese public responded positively to propaganda that promoted Xi Jinping’s leadership, when these messages included text as well as images that showed Xi being compassionate during his visit to Wuhan. However, when textual propaganda focused on familiar narratives, such as Xi’s leadership, international praise of China’s experience in fighting the virus, China’s efforts to send medical assistance to other countries, and praise for medical workers, it was largely ineffective in changing political opinions. These results suggest that visual components that evoke an emotional response of solidarity can increase government favourability in public opinion. At the same time, propaganda narratives that fail to address critical questions about a national crisis, including its severity and attribution, tend to be ineffective at persuading the public.

A corpus-based discourse analysis of China’s national image constructed by environmental news in The New York Times

The persuasive function of topoi—the conclusion rules connecting the arguments and claims—in national image construction through news discourse has been relatively under-researched. This article presents findings from a corpus-based discourse analysis of 21 China-related environmental news stories in The New York Times to address this gap. The corpus analysis of frequency was utilized to find out recurrent and characteristic topics in the news discourse, while the concordance analysis revealed the discourse prosody in the news stories. Topoi in the reported speech was scrutinized to uncover the persuasive intentions in the coverage and the press’s opinion of China’s pro-environmental actions. The findings demonstrate that China is constructed as a country pursuing economic growth at the expense of the environment and a country that is good at showing resolution of governance but with poor governance capacity. The paper suggests that China should spread environmental-related information more transparently using a vigorous international discourse system and diversify means of communication to offer the world more ways to see China’s pro-environmental actions.

Nationalist propaganda and support for war in an authoritarian context: Evidence from China

How can autocrats boost public support for wars? Previous studies have suggested that in democracies, the public changes its war attitude either through rational cost–benefit calculations or simply by following cues from political elites. This article argues that autocrats can follow a similar logic to manipulate public support for war via nationalist propaganda. Based on two online survey experiments with textual and musical propaganda materials in mainland China, this article finds that nationalist propaganda bolsters public support for war, regarding a potential military conflict across the Taiwan Strait. Evidence shows that propaganda increases respondents’ expected return on winning wars, arousing national pride, and reducing respondents’ sensitivity to war costs. However, people’s confidence in winning a given war remains unchanged. These findings suggest that nationalist propaganda can boost support for war by increasing the perceived benefits of the war and reducing their sensitivity toward war costs without changing their perceived probability of winning. It also demonstrates that nationalist propaganda does not need to be explicit about war in order to boost war support in autocracies. This study also reveals the changing dynamic of public opinions in China regarding war for unification over the Taiwan Strait, which has significant implications for security and geopolitics in East Asia.

U.S. Posture of Integrated Deterrence: China’s Response and Implications for the Asian Security

As the world is drawn increasingly into a web of shifting geopolitics, battle lines are being drawn and alliances are re-orienting themselves. Working from the premise that the competition between the United States (U.S.) and the People’s Republic of China will define the dynamics of the international system for the foreseeable future, this paper takes a look at the U.S.’s evolving posture of Integrated Deterrence and the likely Chinese response, which would have implications for Asian security. It reviews the contours of ‘Integrated Deterrence’ as it is laid out in the U.S. National Security Strategy 2022 and how this may shape the policy decisions of the U.S. and its partners, especially Taiwan, as well as how major U.S. regional allies, including India are likely to play their role in support of the U.S. interests. The paper also analyses China’s strategic thinking, national defence policy and national security objectives that are likely to influence its choices in the evolving great power competition. Taking Taiwan as the case study, the paper finds that in addition to pursuing more traditional approaches, both the U.S. and China will consider influencing domestic public opinion in China and Taiwan as a key focus of their respective policy considerations; it also finds convergences in the related responses of South Asia’s two major players, India and Pakistan.

Does Social Media Use Polarize or Depolarize Political Opinion in China? Explaining Opinion Polarization Within an Extended Communication Mediation Model

In a major policy overhaul, China now allows couples to have up to three children, sparking a firestorm of contested opinions on social media. Drawing on an online survey of 802 Chinese social media users’ opinions toward this policy shift and guided by an extended communication mediation model, this study reveals the relationship between social media news exposure and opinion polarization. The analyses show that social media news exposure cannot directly affect opinion polarization, but it can indirectly affect polarization via several pathways. Overall, we argue that expression and interaction following news exposure and news elaboration can depolarize people’s political views.

The power of history: How a victimization narrative shapes national identity and public opinion in China

We study the effect of a victimization narrative on national identity and public opinion in China experimentally. Previous research has suggested that governments can shape public opinion by guiding citizens’ collective memories of historical events, but few studies have established a clear causal link. By conducting an online survey experiment among 1890 urban Chinese citizens, we examine the causal impact of historical narratives on political attitudes. We find that, compared to control conditions, a narrative focusing on China’s humiliating past in the late Qing significantly reinforces respondents’ attachment to the victim side of the Chinese national identity, raises suspicion of the intention of foreign governments in international disputes, stimulates preference for more hawkish foreign policies, and strengthens support for China’s current political system. These effects are particularly strong among respondents without a college degree.

Public Opinion in a Rising Power: National and International Orientations among the Chinese Public

AbstractChina's involvement in the world and its economic modernization are expected to lead to its democratization and adherence to the liberal international order. However, after several decades of development, the authoritarian system remains resilient, and China's foreign policy appears to be more assertive. The limited nature of scholarship on the public opinion in a rising power has prevented a better understanding of China's domestic changes and foreign policy. This study seeks to unveil the micro-foundations of the unexpected trajectory of China's rise by investigating the public's national and international orientations using nationwide representative survey data. The results show that international orientations had a very limited effect on Chinese popular attitudes toward domestic politics and foreign relations, while national orientations strengthened public support for the authoritarian system and China's assertive foreign policy. Intergenerational variations existed in public opinion in China, with the Xi generation showing a different pattern of political values than the preceding generations.

China’s Changing Perception of Japan: A 2022 Review of the “1972 System” Discourse and the “New Thinking on Japan” Debate

What is the structure of the political framework that defines the relationship between Japan and China? In the early 2000s, a little before the thirtieth-year anniversary of normalization of the bilateral relationship, experts from the two countries argued over the importance of issues regarding history in the framework of bilateral relations. By discussing the formation of the debate on the so-called “1972 system,” and its background and subsequent development, this article indicates that China’s argument is transforming from rational to more nationalistic. The two consistent features of China’s strategic theory toward Japan are (1) China shares with Japan an understanding of where the issues in Sino-Japanese relations lie; and (2) China differs in many respects from Japan in its political interpretation of the issues and seeks setbacks from Japan in a manner consistent with guiding domestic public opinion in China. This implies that Japan and China can potentially share a common understanding of the issues at stake, despite political friction on the surface.

The Power of History: How A Victimization Narrative Shapes National Identity and Public Opinion in China

The Power of History: How A Victimization Narrative Shapes National Identity and Public Opinion in China

Miękka siła Chin. Wpływ soft power na wizerunek Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej w Polsce

The soft power of China and its impact on the image of The People’s Republic of China in Poland This article discusses the soft power of China and its impact on public opinion in Poland. It examines various aspects of Chinese culture, politics, and economy, as well as the tools used by China to promote its soft power in Poland. The article presents the results of the survey, which show that the overall opinion of China in Poland is neutral, despite China’s efforts to promote its soft power in the country. However, the survey also reveals that Polish respondents have a positive view of Chinese culture and economy, while their perception of Chinese politics is negative. The article concludes that China’s soft power in Poland is still limited, but it has the potential to grow in the future, particularly through the promotion of Chinese culture and the Chinese economy

Case Study on the Response of Local Government to the Educational Public Opinion in China ——Take the "Postponement of College Entrance Examination in Shexian County, Anhui Province" as an Example

This paper takes the postponement of the college entrance examination in Shexian County, Anhui Province as an example, and combines the characteristics of public opinion communication to analyze the response measures of the local governments in response to public opinion emergencies from the perspective of new media, so as to summarize the experience of local governments in public opinion response. Keywords: Shexian County, College Entrance Examination, public opinions, response DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/103-02 Publication date: December 31 st 2022

Study on the Legal Consequences of Revocation of the Appellate Award in the Internal Appellate Mechanism for Arbitration

The traditional principle of finality in arbitration has certain drawbacks, and the huge risk costs it may lead to make some international commercial parties no longer use arbitration as their first choice for dispute resolution. However, the appellate mechanism for arbitration is not yet well developed, and the legal consequences of revocation of the appellate award need to be further clarified. In this article, I will analyse the academic opinions in China and abroad, and discuss the validity of the appellate award and the original award, the validity of these two kinds of awards after the appellate award is set aside, and the understanding of the principle of “non bis in idem” after being revoked, so as to draw conclusions on how to determine the validity of the arbitration award after the appellate award is set aside under different circumstances. Based on analysis above, my suggestion is that the same dispute after the revocation of the appellate award should be arbitrated by entering into a new arbitration agreement or by bringing a lawsuit.

Using Grounded Theory to Identify Online Public Opinion in China to Improve Risk Management-The Case of COVID-19.

During the outbreak of COVID-19, online public opinion related to the epidemic was rapidly generated and developed rapidly. If some online public opinions cannot be effectively responded to and guided, it will bring risks to social order. The government should understand how to use information on social media to grasp public demands, provide useful information in a timely manner and take countermeasures. Studying the formation mechanism of online public opinion during the outbreak can help the government make scientific decisions and improve risk management capabilities. The research selects the public opinion information of online platforms represented by WeChat, online communities, Sina Weibo and search engines, involving 75 relevant texts (1 January to 31 March 2022). According to the grounded theory method, using the QSR NVivo12 qualitative research software, the collected network texts were successively researched using open coding, axial coding and theoretical coding. The structure of online public opinion during the COVID-19 epidemic was obtained. The operation mechanism of the online public opinion system about COVID-19 was mainly affected by the interaction of online public opinion objects, online public opinion subjects, online public opinion intermediaries and government forces. It was based on social facts and citizens' appeals as the starting point, subject behaviors and prevention and control measures as the focus, government's governance as macro-control and citizens' evaluation as the guide. Scientific analysis of online public opinion is an important tool to identify and manage risks and improve the quality of government activities. Online public opinion has the function of assisting government decision-making, and the government can identify the important information reflected in it, especially the mainstream public opinion, as a reference for decision-making. By taking effective measures and properly responding to citizens' reasonable demands, the government can prevent social risks and avoid new negative public opinions. Contributions: According to the characteristics of the basic model of online public opinion, this study provides risk mitigation suggestions for Chinese public sectors to use online public opinion, optimize epidemic prevention policies and formulate strategic measures.