Looking inward: How does Chinese public diplomacy work at home?

Although public diplomacy is not intended for domestic consumption, it can still have an internal impact. It has been observed that China’s huge investment in public diplomacy has not resulted in a proportionate increase in its international image. However, Chinese public diplomacy not only tells China’s story and communicates its voice to the world, but also shoulders the responsibility of accruing legitimacy for the country, both internationally and domestically. By looking at the news reports on the Confucius Institutes and China’s National Image Film – two public diplomacy programmes implemented by the Chinese government – in the mainstream media in both the United States and China, this paper will assess how these influence domestic perceptions of China and the Chinese government, and help enhance the legitimacy of the ruling party. This is important in evaluating the effectiveness of Chinese public diplomacy.