scholarly journals China-Africa media relations: What we know so far

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-112
Author(s):  
Herman Wasserman

The increased presence of Chinese media in Africa has been a topic of much debate in recent years, and has given rise to a burgeoning research area. Seen as a platform upon which China can exert its ‘soft power’ in Africa as part of its outward-looking international relations policy, Chinese media has been considered instrumental in portraying a more positive picture of China among African audiences, partly in an attempt to support the expansion of Chinese economic activities on the continent. Critics have however questioned the influence that Chinese media practices may have on journalistic value systems and press freedom on the continent. These criticisms assume that Chinese media may have a big impact on African media, although the empirical basis for such claims have often been lacking.

2021 ◽  
pp. 026327642110120
Author(s):  
Alessandro Jedlowski

On the basis of the results of an ongoing research project on the activities of the Chinese media company StarTimes in Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, this paper analyses the fluid and fragmentary dimension of the engagements between Chinese media and African publics, while equally emphasizing the power dynamics that underlie them. Focusing on a variety of ethnographic sources, it argues for an approach to the study of Chinese media expansion in Africa able to take into account, simultaneously, the macro-political and macro-economic factors which condition the nature of China–Africa media interactions, the political intentions behind them (as, for example, the Chinese soft power policies and their translation into specific media contents), and the micro dimension of the practices and uses of the media made by the actors (producers and consumers of media) in the field.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-476
Author(s):  
TAKASHI INOGUCHI

This special issue focuses on the role of civil society in international relations. It highlights the dynamics and impacts of public opinion on international relations (Zaller, 1992). Until recently, it was usual to consider public opinion in terms of its influence on policy makers and in terms of moulding public opinion in the broad frame of the policy makers in one's country. Given that public opinion in the United States was assessed and judged so frequently and diffused so globally, it was natural to frame questions guided by those concepts which pertained to the global and domestic context of the United States.


1977 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Kubálková ◽  
A. A. Cruickshank

The title of the article is intended to focus the attention of Western writers on international relations theory upon two aspects of this rapidly growing research area. Rather than meeting with an incomprehensible neglect it is our argument that the aspects referred to might well be accorded one of the key places. Failure to do so, it our contention, when transferred from considerations of theoretical efficiency into the no less precarious realm of practical policy, might well have proportionately hazardous implications. We would beg forbearance, however, if within the necessarily limited scope of this article only a very perfunctory and sketchy outline of the meaning and implications of the omissions can be given. The sole purpose of this article is to provoke interest in these particular areas rather than to supply the deficiencies – a task which clearly could only be undertaken in the expanded context of a major work.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 683-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
KOSUKE SHIMIZU

AbstractCulture is a demanding word, particularly when it is used in the context of the contemporary academic discipline of international relations (IR). It is often employed in order to distinguish one identity from another, allegedly illuminating idiosyncrasies embedded in a particular society or group of people. The essentialized understanding of culture is also detectable in the case of the current debate on the non-Western international relations theories (IRT). Non-Western politicians and scholars often employ the term culture in order to distinguish their values from alleged Western values. However, culture has another important function mainly advanced by a left-wing Kyoto School philosopher Tosaka Jun, that is, culture as a mirror for critical reflection for morality (Tosaka, 1966). This article is based on Tosaka's argument that culture has an important function for moral reflection beyond that of a mere means to identify one's distinctiveness from the West, and it criticizes Japan's soft power diplomacy or the total absence of it from that point of view. It also argues that this absence is the result of the soft power discourse's over-simplified interpretation of culture that results in confrontation between the West and the rest, particularly when it is employed in non-Western IRT discourses. Towards the end, I examine Miyazaki Hayao's films,Princes Mononokein particular, as examples of cultural works facilitating a moment of critical reflection, and I extract embedded messages of relevance to critical reflection on contemporary IR literature, particularly non-Western literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 119-132
Author(s):  
E.A. TYURIN ◽  
◽  
E.N. SAVINOVA ◽  
О.V. PEREVERZEVA ◽  
◽  
...  

The article attempts to apply the concept of «soft power», characteristic of international relations, to analyze the struggle of participants in separatist conflicts at the national level. The purpose of the study is to consider the «soft power» resources and tools of each of the parties to the conflict between Catalonia and Spain and the conflict between Scotland and the United Kingdom. The main research methods are general logical, institutional and comparative. It is concluded that in the countries under consideration, in the conditions of the manifestation of separatism, the «soft power» has obvious socio-cultural, political, institutional and legal grounds. According to the authors, despite the specifics of the «soft power» confrontation, in each of the cases considered, culture in its various manifestations, image strategies of the parties to the conflict, as well as the institution of the monarchy are crucial.


Author(s):  
Adam Krzymowski

This paper presents an analysis of the role and significance of Expo2020 Dubai for UAE soft power in connection with the current and future global strategic challenges. The New World Order that emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union, when President Bush Sr proclaimed a “new world order” at the time of the Gulf War in 1991. Now, we have a stage of global political and economic chaos with no grand winners and a greater number of losers. Fast forward 30 years later, in 2021, we need connecting minds, creating a future that frees the world of wars and political strife, and its promises to eradicate poverty, disease and hunger. The plethora of initiatives may have a positive impact on Asia, but there is also the risk that fierce competition may result in unprofitable projects, while the economic slowdown could cause a decline in funding. Expo2020 Dubai is a great soft power tool, as well as a contribution to the newly emerging international system. Therefore, the researcher put the main question: what is Expo2020 Dubai’ role and significance for UAE soft power strategy and dynamics of international relations. The accepted hypothesis is that Expo2020 Dubai has a great opportunity to be added value for building a new global order.In order to conduct scientific research, the author used many theoretical methods and tools, including the use of neorealist theory, analysis of constellations of interests, or neo-institutional theory. In addition, due to the researcher’s participation in many of the processes studied, the work is also based on personal experience. In this sense, the research study has scientific as well as practical importance. Keywords: Soft Power, Expo 2020 Dubai, International Branding, United Arab Emirates, International Relations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-46
Author(s):  
Oloo Oloo

In recent years, the Chinese media has grown vastly with the country’s interest in the investment in the developing countries. As the relationship with these countries become, so as the influence of Chinese culture towards the nations through the ever-growing Chinese media. Since the implementation of significant projects in Africa, Caribbean and Asia countries by Chinese government, the Chinese media have been characterized in localizing their TV contents to compete with the host countries and stretching their sense of soft power to these nations. Although they have faced significant challenges in terms of cultural difference, and technological development, the Chinese reality TV shows have continued to be part of the regular host countries' TV program diet while facing fierce standpoint from the initial global dominant media in these markets. This paper analyses these trends in focus on the Chinese reality TV shows that have hit the host countries' market as well as the motivation of their evolution. The article traces the extent of these strategies to be leveraged by states to balance their local production and foster cordial relation with China in a context of edutainment. It is imperative to analyze the development of this crucial phenomenon in the ontological perspective of the internationalization and marketization of products. The article addresses these issues by drawing attention from different players in this conspicuous field.


Author(s):  
M. M. Tscherepansky ◽  
A. B. Obukhova

The problem of choosing the type of activity, methods and technologies of reclamation of quarry spaces, in the conditions of minimizing the harmful impact on water resources, is determined by a large number of natural and man-made factors. One of the main and determining factors is the state of surface and groundwater, as well as their change in the reclamation of quarries. To solve this problem, it is proposed to create an information and expert system (IES) for selecting a method of reclamation of quarries of IES «Quarry-water-reclamation», based on the natural and man-made conditions of the territories. The purpose of the development of IES «Quarry-water-recultivation» is a reasonable choice of methods, options and technologies for recultivation of the quarry space, based on the physical, geographical, geological, hydrological and hydrogeological conditions of the research area, the method of mining, the conditions of use of surface and groundwater, on the basis of these monitoring systems, as a result of retrospective and predictive geofiltration modeling, taking into account the planned for the implementation of design and water protection solutions and measures, as well as the social - economic conditions of the region. Tasks for the collection and compilation of physicogeographical, geological, hydrological and hydrogeological conditions according to the basin principle, the characteristics of economic activities, the construction of geofiltration, hydrodynamic and computational models, with the further correction of the last solution of the series of predictive tasks, the change of the hydrological and hydrogeological conditions of the area as a result of various variants of recultivation of the quarry, analysis of the current legislation, the requirements of the local authority and wishes of the local people, development of the project of water protection measures of the selected option.


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