Ethnic Chinese Identities and Reception of China's Public Diplomacy in Thailand

• In Event: Public Opinion in Contemporary Chinese Politics

Abstract

What shapes individuals’ reception of a foreign country’s public diplomacy? Existing research usually bases their arguments on a person’s rational calculation or ideological orientations and typically assumes that the receivers of diplomatic outreach are complete foreigners without any ties with the sending country. It thus leaves significant theoretical gaps worthy of further exploration. This research sheds light on a crucial yet understudied factor at the micro level of international relations, i.e., an individual’s ethnic background. Built upon insights from social identity theory, it theorised that ethnic identity invigorates one’s emotional affiliation to their ancestral country, which leads to higher acceptance of that country’s public diplomacy overtures. To test the theory, survey experiments were conducted in Thailand, where a large number of its population are considered ethnic Chinese. This research discovered that Thai citizens of Chinese descent are generally more receptive to China’s public diplomacy than their non-Chinese compatriots. Specifically, their Chinese ethnicity influences their consideration in two ways. On the one hand, they are more approving of China’s positive public diplomacy messages that highlight the friendship between China and Thailand. On the other hand, they are more willing to consider China’s perspectives and less agitated at China’s negative public diplomacy messages that criticise their home country. This study contains both scholarly and policy significance. Theoretically, ethnic identity arguments were commonly found in the context of domestic politics or intergroup conflicts but rarely mentioned in international relations scholarship. This research underlines the critical role of ethnic identity in shaping one’s attitudes towards a foreign country’s public diplomacy. Furthermore, the results can be extrapolated to the broader setting. Overseas Chinese also constitute a considerable demographic part of many Southeast Asian countries. For generations, they have been playing pivotal roles in their host country’s economy and growing their influence in political realms. They can serve as intermediaries between the two countries, fostering China’s advantages in its mission to win hearts and minds in their countries of residence.

Author

• Attawat Assavanadda, University of Hong Kong