Preliminary Indonesian Newspaper Narratives on China, Beijing, and Chinese Vaccines

This chapter investigates Indonesia’s newspaper narratives on China, Beijing, and Chinese COVID-19 vaccines from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2022. Such an investigation allows for exploration of how Indonesia’s newspaper narratives on China, Beijing, and Chinese vaccines changed during the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic epochs. Findings can not only suggest whether the pandemic worsened Indonesia’s newspaper narratives on China and Beijing but also indicate if the deteriorated, where applicable, Indonesian perception of China and Beijing ameliorated amidst the conclusion of the pandemic. Investigating Indonesia’s newspaper narratives on China, therefore, helps determine how much soft power China/Beijing has in the Indonesian market, an indicator suggesting the extent to which Beijing would encounter hurdles when building regional influence in Indonesia.