ABSTRACT
The Belt and Road Initiative constitutes one component of a two-stage long-term development plan in the realization of socialist modernization and developing China into a great modern socialist country according to Xi Jinping Thought. Against this backdrop, this study sets out to examine how Xi Thought has been projected in one of the ports along the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) by analysing the website of Ningbo Zhoushan Port and people’s life stories. Underpinned by the theoretical framework offered by public diplomacy, and through qualitative content and thematic analyses, coupled with multimodal discourse analysis, we have investigated how Xi Thought has been represented at the macro level (Central Government), the meso level through corporate image building and the micro level with people’s considerations. The chapter concludes that China has tapped extensively into its soft power resources in its effort of rejuvenation. With the coordination of business stakeholders and local residents, Xi Thought has been well represented domestically, which will contribute to its construction of public diplomacy in promoting its soft power internationally on the world stage.
