 Enhancing China's image in Africa: The role of the Belt and Road InitiativeZiwei Liu and Yibing Ding China Economic Review, 2024, vol. 87, issue C Abstract: Growing distrust makes it challenging for countries to retain positive reputations and images worldwide. Employing data from the eighth round of the Afrobarometer and the multiperiod difference-in-differences (DID) method, this paper examines how China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) affects its image in Africa. This study reveals that the BRI can significantly improve China's image among Africans. It affects Africans' perceptions of China's image in a highly heterogeneous manner. The BRI boosts China's image by increasing foreign direct investment, foreign aid, trade, and cultural communication with Africa. Moreover, domestic mainstream public attention and public praise and criticism can mitigate the BRI's impact on Africans' perceptions of China. These findings highlight the importance of economic cooperation and media portrayal in forming a country's image. Additionally, the paper offers suggestions for both China and Africa to build a high-quality BRI, thus improving their bilateral economic cooperation. Keywords: BRI; Country image; International public opinion; Afrobarometer (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:chieco:v:87:y:2024:i:c:s1043951x24001287 DOI: 10.1016/j.chieco.2024.102239 Access Statistics for this article China Economic Review is currently edited by B.M. Fleisher, K. X. D. Huang, M.E. Lovely, Y. Wen, X. Zhang and X. Zhu More articles in China Economic Review from Elsevier |
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