Dialogue on Views on Civilization | Zhou Ting

Media Interpretation of China's Views on Civilization and Evaluation of International Communication Effects

As a communication issue, China's view of civilization encompasses the interpretation and handling of the inherent relationships among different civilizations. When it comes to interpretation, it can be further divided into three levels of sub-questions: What is the essential nature of civilization? What are the relationships involved in civilization interactions? What platforms or specific paths are constructed for these interactions? To comprehensively present the interpretation and communication effects of the international media on China's view of civilization, the study utilizes big data technology to collect global media reports related to China's view of civilization from January to October of this year. These reports will be analyzed individually.

1. The Current Situation of Media Interpretation of the Chinese Views on Civilization. 

(1) The Essence of civilization: The Chinese views on civilization hold that culture is diverse, equal and inclusive. There have been a total of 9,088 global media reports on topics related to these keywords and issues, with an average of 31 reports per day. The first peak in media coverage occurred during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. Cai Qi, then Chairman of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Winter Olympics, expressed confidence that the Games would convey confidence, friendship and hope to the world, showcasing the beautiful aspirations of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Many media outlets quoted and referenced his ideas, which encompassed the essence of civilization. The second peak in media coverage took place during the 14th BRICS Summit, where President Xi Jinping mentioned, "Standing at the crossroads of history, we should both look back at the journey we have traveled and keep in mind why we established BRICS in the first place, and look forward to a shared future of a more comprehensive, close, practical and inclusive high-quality partnership so as to jointly embark on a new journey of BRICS cooperation." This statement received extensive media exposure. In terms of emotional inclination, the majority of media outlets objectively and neutrally conveyed the basic principles of China's colorful, equal and inclusive concept of civilization. Negative information was relatively scarce, while positive information was more abundant. Media outlets from Southeast Asia, Europe, Africa, etc. approached the topic from the perspective of friendship between nations and common development, providing positive interpretations of the essential nature of Chinese civilization. These countries are not only along the Belt and Road but also emerging market nations. Negative evaluations primarily came from mainstream Western media, which maintained their previous framework of reporting on China in a singular and stereotypical manner, forcibly associating the Chinese concept of civilization with topics such as ideological education, ideological control, centralized power, government censorship and restrictions on religious beliefs. 

(2) The relations between civilizations: China advocates for civilizational exchanges and mutual learning, which contradicts the Western notion of conflict theory. This phenomenon is also reflected in media reports, showcasing the conflicting dynamics between different theories of civilizational relations. There have been over 6,000 global media reports on topics related to these keywords, averaging around 20 reports per day. The first peak in media coverage occurred during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with American media reporting that the conflict had impeded cultural exchanges and presuming China's "support" for Russia's actions, resulting in consequences such as rising global energy prices and hindered cultural exchanges. The second peak in media coverage emphasized by British media was the impact of the "zero-COVID" policy on cultural interactions and mutual learning between nations. The third peak in media coverage was attributed to British news outlets stating that the global climate crisis affects climate change, which could jeopardize the preservation of cultural heritage, attributing climate change to China. In terms of emotional inclination, negative reports dominate, while positive reports mainly quote Chinese external publicity media and media outlets from friendly nations. Negative interpretations aim to fabricate and amplify "civilizational conflicts" between China and other countries by referencing significant political issues domestically and internationally, thereby stirring up public controversies. For instance, some Western media misinterpret China's willingness to engage in civilizational exchanges and mutual learning with countries worldwide, using events like Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict as interpretive backgrounds, incorrectly portraying China's concept as "cultural infiltration" into the world. (3) Compared to the concepts mentioned earlier, the methodology of civilization is more closely related to practice, focusing on which measures China takes to provide platforms and pathways for the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations. There have been over 100,000 global media reports on the keywords and topics mentioned above, averaging about 300 reports per day. The first peak of reporting occurred on September 15th when the Associated Press reported that the leaders of China, Russia and Mongolia held their sixth meeting to advance the Belt and Road Initiative. The second peak was the 13th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum. The third peak was the coverage of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, where the Associated Press stated that the Chinese government would continue to promote the development of the Belt and Road Initiative. From the specific paths and methods of civilization practices such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the community with a shared future for mankind, it can be seen that there is a slightly higher number of positive reports from global media, mainly from non-Western countries. The media from these countries affirm the positive role of the Belt and Road Initiative in promoting economic prosperity, enhancing the interaction and integration of different civilizations, and achieving global peace and development. For example, the Indian Times reprinted an article from the Global Times, acknowledging that modern China has shaped a powerful, democratic, civilized, harmonious and beautiful image. However, some countries view the Belt and Road Initiative as a tool for China's "strategic expansion" from an economic and security perspective, leading to negative reports and even predicting that China may propose more extensive "strategic footholds" over time. Through analysis, it can be observed that the global English-language media predominantly provides objective descriptions on essentialism, relationalism and methodology. However, there is no clear mapping between these three levels. For example, there are significantly more positive reports from the international community regarding essentialism, generally acknowledging the concept of inclusiveness. However, when it comes to the implementation paths and methodologies, negative reports increase significantly, with many countries not subscribing to the notion of civilizational exchange and methods, often approaching it from a conflict perspective to interpret and understand China's views on civilization. Given that some international media outlets are unable to effectively integrate the essentialism, relationalism and methodology of civilization, it becomes difficult to accurately introduce the Belt and Road Initiative and the community with a shared future for mankind to the international community based on a consensus of ideas.

2. Recommendations for optimizing the communication of China's views on civilization are as follows. 

Firstly, it is recommended to construct a discourse system and create a comprehensive explanatory logic. The views on civilization are a theoretical framework. However, when disseminating this theoretical framework, it is not enough to rely solely on theory. It requires a wealth of knowledge to assist in interpretation and address the doubts that arise in the minds of the general public. In the future, it is necessary to construct a knowledge system that maps essentialism, epistemology and methodology, and use this comprehensive system to form an explanatory logic and prepare for effective communication. Secondly, it is important to optimize communication strategies and implement targeted measures for different countries and regions. When facing criticism from the United States and Western countries, it is necessary to provide necessary refutations against their distortions and smears of China's views on civilization. It is also necessary to actively engage foreign media outlets that are "friendly" towards China to counterbalance and break free from the dominant discourse system and various traps set by the United States and the West, and ensure that China's voice is heard. Particularly, greater efforts should be made to expand communication strategies in countries along the Belt and Road and emerging markets, aiming to secure their understanding and recognition of China's views on civilization. Thirdly, it is crucial to improve communication strategies and amplify the voice of views on civilization. It is also crucial to explore the perspective of civilizational dialogue and continue to promote the global dissemination of the concept of a "community with a shared future for mankind". From the perspective of civilizational values, it is necessary to refute the dominant discourse system of globalization driven by capital logic. Fourthly, it is necessary to expand the range of communication participants and establish bridges for academic exchanges. 

Views on civilization disseminate ideas, and ideas are primarily abstract and theoretical. Therefore, in international communication, it is not enough to rely solely on the media; cultural exchanges and academic discussions should be the main channels of communication. Think tanks and universities can leverage their research strengths, objective and professional image, and implicit communication channels to promote the dissemination of the views on civilization, gain intellectual recognition, and enhance the power of dissemination. Additionally, for effective and profound communication, involvement of cultural institutions and multinational corporations should be actively encouraged. Communication activities empower individuals and various systems, with governments instilling credibility in external communication, and corporations contributing to practical benefits in people's lives. Only by combining these efforts can the international community perceive China's views on civilization as interesting and appealing, emotionally compelling, and ultimately persuasive and useful.