Research Article Open Access

China Radio International in the Digital Age: Propagating China on the Global Scenario

Abstract

The dramatic economic growth of China has meant a renewed international influence: it is widely recognized that China is, today, a central actor in the world economy and politics. Historically, economic power has always been accompanied by increasing international cultural influence and its certain that China’s economic stature will also be reflected in the diffusion of Chinese culture. This paper explores and discusses about the strategies of the Chinese government in strengthening its international influence and image – the so called soft power - in the digital culture by examining the case of China Radio International (CRI), the only Chinese state-owned radio allowed to broadcast to overseas audience. China has moved away from pure propaganda toward a nuanced public relation strategy. One tool of this strategy is the international expansion of its media in different modes in the framework of the “going out” policy, aiming to make the Chinese language, Chinese culture and the Chinese media more visible internationally. This paper finds that the Chinese broadcaster, more than its Western counterparts such as BBC and the Voice of America, largely employs social site networks and new media, making interactivity its pivotal point of development. International partnerships and cooperation with foreign media are another successful approach of CRI in winning China’s influence abroad.

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