ABSTRACT
Foreign policy making is a complex political process that involves a number of players, one of which is the mass media. To understand the role media play in China’s foreign policy making, we need to address a number of questions. These questions include the role Chinese media play, how much influence media exert on foreign policy making, and the relationship between media and the government regarding foreign policy making. Do the media influence the government or does the government influence the media, causing the media to ultimately sway the public opinion? Or is it that both the media and the government influence each other to different degrees? Or is it that neither the media nor the government influences the other? This chapter examines the Chinese media’s role in China’s policy making toward the United States. In particular, it focuses on the Chinese media coverage of the U.S.-led war in Iraq and its impact on the formation of China’s policy toward the United States and the war. However, to establish the relationship is no easy task, and it is especially challenging when data are not readily available and when transparency is lacking.
