Academic diplomacy and policy borrowing: media content analysis of Chinese soft power in Morocco

Zineb Draissi (), Yu Rong (), Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer, Samra Maqbool, Saima Javed Malik, Sufyan Maqbool and Sayed Hussain Agha Alemi
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Zineb Draissi: Zhejiang Normal University
Yu Rong: Zhejiang Normal University
Hafiz Muhammad Ihsan Zafeer: Zhejiang Normal University
Samra Maqbool: Zhejiang Normal University
Saima Javed Malik: Zhejiang Normal University
Sufyan Maqbool: Zhejiang Normal University
Sayed Hussain Agha Alemi: Zhejiang Normal University

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract China’s Soft power in Africa has garnered increasing attention since the establishment of Confucius Institutes (CIs) in African countries. This study examines the framing and interpretation of the discourse on Chinese soft power in Moroccan online media in the context of policy borrowing and policy lending. Content analysis was performed on media reports published in three French outlets regarding the Belt and Road Initiative, Programme for International Student Assessment, CIs and related research items over the period of 2010–2019. In total, 153 online news articles were analysed, which yielded interesting results about how media outlets are calling for borrowing policy from China as a reference country. The three most common themes in the discourse behind policy borrowing were as follows: (i) human capital soft power; (ii) university ranking; and (iii) lessons learnt from the Chinese educational system.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04544-1

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