ABSTRACT

Since the 1990s, more and more Chinese correspondents have travelled to war and conflict zones overseas to report the news back home directly, rather than relaying and repackaging wired news from Western news agencies. One of the driving forces behind this phenomenon is the state’s strategy of enhancing soft power and making China’s voices heard in the global arena (Zhang, 2013). Public diplomacy is the instrument to promote national image and soft power. It has used media to cultivate favourable views about a specific country (Gilboa, 2002). Chinese war correspondents have played a crucial role in public diplomacy for multiple reasons: the information they gather provides references for policymaking; they go to the front lines in conflict areas overseas, which thus helps build a national image of China; and their news coverage influences the public opinion in China and also China’s foreign policy. Of course, war correspondents are likely to be in danger and be involved in diplomatic events, which may cause trouble for foreign diplomacy (Xu, 2013).