The Impact of China's Digital Diplomacy on Global Misinformation: Analysing the Role of Social Media in Shaping International Public Opinion During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This paper explores how social media and online platforms have contributed to shaping popular trust and false information in the COVID-19 pandemic, and in particular to the example of digital diplomacy in China. The research aims to explore the role of government communication via platforms such as WeChat on shaping trust with the masses and the manipulation of information via Weibo disregarding those attempts. It involved a mixed method where quantitative surveys were conducted, qualitative interviews were conducted, and content analysis of the social media posts and government communication was conducted. The survey findings indicated that 72 percent of the surveyed individuals believed in government messages in WeChat, and 65 percent of the respondents were exposed to misinformation, mostly on Weibo. Content analysis and interviews revealed that on Weibo, misinformation about the origins of the virus, its safety, was widespread, whereas on WeChat, mainly visual aids and government messages based on health advice, caused trust. These results indicate that regulated platforms such as WeChat can be used to foster trust in digital diplomacy initiatives, although the propagation of fake news on decentralized platforms is a serious problem. This paper is a contribution to the discipline of digital diplomacy since it explains the importance of online platforms in crisis management about perception and trust. It suggests that the governments should concentrate on platform regulation and effective communication strategies in combating misinformation, and future research should investigate the efficiency of these communication strategies in other global settings.