Sino-Japanese Power Politics pp 103-127 | Cite as
Minds: China’s Propaganda Offensive and Japan’s Response
Abstract
Starting from the immediate aftermath of the Japanese nationalization of the islets in September 2012, China launched a carefully planned propaganda campaign at both an international and a domestic level. An underappreciated aim was to mobilize local public opinion against Japan by reinforcing perceptions of self-righteousness. With the advent of the Abe Administration in December 2012, Japan responded in kind by planning and implementing mirroring communication strategies. Thus, by 2013 the Sino-Japanese “battle for hearts and minds,” designed also for the two countries’ public opinions, had begun to unfold on the global stage. Since 2015, it had become clear that these antagonizing narratives have crystallized within China and Japan’s official discourses and legacy media, hindering the possibility of an effective reconciliation in the short term.
Keywords
Japan–China Propaganda Senkaku/Diaoyu publicity History issueSelected Bibliography
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