Digital diplomacy and domestic audience: how official discourse shapes nationalist sentiments in China

Abstract

This article aims to reveal the domestic implications of China’s digital diplomacy by centring the interaction between official diplomatic discourses and Chinese nationalist sentiments. Examining diplomatic discourse presented by Chinese foreign affairs spokespersons and the related nationalist comments of the Chinese domestic audience, this study illustrates the dynamic interplay between official diplomatic discourses, the salience of other, and nationalist sentiments. The findings suggest that China’s digital diplomatic discourse can influence the dynamic of domestic nationalist sentiments. A positive diplomatic tone contributes to more positive nationalist sentiments through an enhanced sense of national identification. Conversely, a negative tone of diplomatic discourse tends to generate more negative nationalist sentiments through intensified social comparison and derogation, particularly in the presence of salient foreign others. The study puts forward the theoretical commensurability between digital diplomacy, social identity theories, and nationalism construction. It also offers practical insights into China’s multifaceted nationalist communication and digital diplomacy strategies.