JHASS

Article http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.07.017

Research on International Communication of Chinese Cities’ Image on Social Media from the “Other” Perspective

Download PDF How to cite this paper

TOTAL VIEWS: 1172

Yun Shao

Beijing International Studies University, Beijing 100024, China.

*Corresponding author: Yun Shao

Published: July 25,2025

Abstract

This study provides insight into the ways in which the image of the Chinese city was expressed and disseminated in the current complex international situation. With the continuous development of globalization and information technology, the participants engaging in international communication activities have become more diverse. Such a change provides a series of new ways for (re)constructing the image of the city. On social media platforms, a number of foreign bloggers create and publish videos about what they have personally witnessed and experienced in different cities in China. Through analyzing the content and effect of these videos, the findings shed light on the role and practice of individual foreigners engaged in the image expression of Chinese cities. There is no doubt that they could observe and evaluate the cities from the perspective of the “Other”, and accordingly play an important role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world as well as enhancing the cities’ visibility and influence internationally.

Keywords

International communication; City image; “Other” perspective

References

Beijing Foreign Affairs Office. (2022, October). Report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

https://wb.beijing.gov.cn/home/wswm/yyhj/fyyd/202210/t20221027_2846141.html?utm_source=

China Briefing. (2025, June). China further expands the 240-hour visa-free transit policy to 55 countries.

https://www.china-briefing.com/news/china-resumes-144-hour-visa-free-transit-policy-for-foreigners-who-can-apply/

Mumford, L. (2005). The city in history: Its origins, its transformations and its prospects (Song, J., & Ni, W., Trans.). China Construction Industry Press. (Original work published 1961)

Ni, X. (2022). The “Other” perspective and image expression of Looking China. International Communication of Chinese Culture, 9, 31-35.

Su, F., Jia, B., & Yang, Y. (2024). Navigating challenges and psychological engines: Case from international communication of Beijing city image. International Communication of Chinese Culture, 12, 1-16.

We Are Social. (2024, October). Digital 2024 October global statshot report.

https://wearesocial.com/us/blog/2024/10/digital-2024-october-global-statshot-report/?utm_source=

Wu, Z., & Wu, H. (2025). Entrenchment and breakthrough: The formation of the othering perspective and communication strategies of Chinese culture. Nanjing Journal of Social Sciences, 3, 138-146.

Xu, Y. (2024). Research on the international communication of city image of the Asian Games Hangzhou 2022—Based on YouTube platform analysis. International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology, 6, 29-33.

Zhang, Y., & Shao, Y. (2024). How to tell good stories about China on overseas video-based social media: A multi-level agenda-setting study on different types of YouTube channels from 2019 to 2021. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication, 2, 6-31.

How to cite this paper

Research on International Communication of Chinese Cities’ Image on Social Media from the “Other” Perspective

How to cite this paper: Yun Shao. (2025) Research on International Communication of Chinese Cities’ Image on Social Media from the “Other” Perspective. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 9(7), 1343-1347.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.07.017