Can Public Diplomacy Repair Reputation? Evidence from Chinese-financed Infrastructure in Indonesia and Kenya

Speaker:

Prof. Austin Strange, Associate Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong

Austin strange is an associate professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong. His research and teaching focuses include international relations, international development, and Chinese foreign policy. His research examines historical and contemporary Chinese foreign policies. Two of his books are published by the Cambridge University Press. In addition, his publications appear in leading journals such as Review of International Organizations, Journal of Politics, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Journal of Urban Economics, among others. In 2022, he received HKU’s Early Career Teaching Award.

In addition, he is a Public Intellectuals Program Fellow with the National Committee on US-China Relations. Previously he earned a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University and before that he studied at Zhejiang University (M.A.) and William & Mary (B.A.).

Abstract:

Can public diplomacy repair damaged reputations in international relations? Existing research focuses heavily on governments’ efforts to send messages highlighting positive reputational assets to foreign audiences. There is comparatively less theoretical or empirical clarity on whether and how states’ public diplomacy directly engages with negative narratives to overcome reputational liabilities. We investigate this question in the context of China’s role in international development, focusing on a potentially major reputational liability – the controversial “Debt-trap Diplomacy” narrative – and Chinese public diplomacy messages that attempt to address this issue. We test whether different public diplomacy messages – including those focused on blame, distraction, and acknowledgment and learning – can change observer perceptions of Chinese global infrastructure projects. To test the efficacy of these messages, we first field two household surveys with embedded, parallel experiments in Indonesia and Kenya focused on major Chinese-sponsored infrastructure projects. We then conduct similarly structured online survey experiments using realistic videos of Chinese public diplomacy messages. Initial findings suggest – at least in the Indonesia context – blame and learning are more effective strategies for addressing reputational liabilities. However, while these strategies increase support for specific projects, they do not appear to change attitudes toward more general narratives.

Date: 09/04/2025 (Wednesday)

Time: 16:00-17:30

Venue: E21B-G002

Language: English