The Transformation of China's International Communication Paradigm in Social Media and Feminism - Taking Overseas Media's Comments on China's National Diplomatic Female Spokespersons as an Example
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The Transformation of China's International Communication Paradigm in Social Media and Feminism - Taking Overseas Media's Comments on China's National Diplomatic Female Spokespersons as an Example

Danlei Ruan 1*
1 Shenzhen University
*Corresponding author: sauranbo2762447@gmail.com
Published on 16 September 2025
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CHR Vol.77
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-347-5
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-348-2
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Abstract

In the era of deep integration of globalization and digitization, the international communication landscape is undergoing profound changes. The rise of social media has broken the spatial-temporal barriers of traditional communication, while the global spread of feminist discourse is reshaping the gender dimension of power expression. This article takes Chinese female diplomatic spokespersons Hua Chunying and Mao Ning as the research subjects, with relevant reports from “The New York Times” and “The Times” between 2020 and 2025 as samples. The research explores the transformation of China's international communication paradigm under the dual influence of social media and feminist discourse, illustrating Chinese female diplomatic spokespersons, by leveraging direct dialogues constructed through social media, dismantle the “center-periphery” communication rules dominated by western mainstream media. It proves that their practices not only challenge gender stereotypes in international communication but also reconstruct power relations of feminist discourse, providing a practical path for building a new international communication framework of diversity and coexistence.

Keywords:

social media, feminism, international communication

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Ruan,D. (2025). The Transformation of China's International Communication Paradigm in Social Media and Feminism - Taking Overseas Media's Comments on China's National Diplomatic Female Spokespersons as an Example. Communications in Humanities Research,77,40-47.

References

[1]. Runbin Hu. (2012). “Major Shift in Agenda Setting" - The "Dual Agenda Setting" Contest between Traditional Media and New Media and Its Responses. Youth Journalist, 21: 29-30.

[2]. Qingguang Guo. (2011). Communication Studies Tutorial / Chuan Bo Xue Jiao Cheng. China People's University Press.

[3]. Rongchun Xiao. (2008). "Soft Communication": A New Idea for Government Image Communication. Foreign Communication, (01): 50-52.

[4]. Xingdong Fang & Xiangming Zhong. (2022). China's Strategic Choices in the New International Communication Landscape: A Study on Paradigm Shift and Countermeasures under the Trend of Technological Evolution. Social Science Journal, (01): 70-81.

[5]. China News Service. (2020). Zhao Lijian on Telling China's Story Well: Focus on Facilitating Communication Between China and the World to Identify Points of Intersecting Interests between China and the Rest of the World - China News Service. Chinanews.com.cn. http: //www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2021/11-19/9612777.shtml

[6]. Jiyin Chen, Jiaxuan Liu. (2025). Technology Empowerment and Ecological Shaping: Research on the Intelligent Construction of an Accurate International Communication System. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Social Sciences Edition), 45(03): 149-160.

[7]. Jianhua Lin, Jun Wang. (2025). On the Construction of the New Era's Foreign Narrative Discourse System: Issues, Logic and Pathways. Journal of Chongqing University (Social Science Edition), 31(02): 131-143.

[8]. Xiaoyu Sun. (2023). Hua Chunying: Is the real threat China or war-hungry G7 members? Chinadaily.com.cn. https: //www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202305/23/WS646c7721a310b6054fad4a85.html

[9]. Xin Chen. (2023). Exploring the Path of Presenting China's Story in the 5W Communication Model. Frontiers of Social Sciences, 12(03): 1437-1444.

[10]. Sanger, D. E., Barnes, J. E., Barrett, D., & Goldman, A. (2024). Emerging Details of Chinese Hack Leave U.S. Officials Increasingly Concerned. The New York Times, November 23. https: //www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/us/politics/chinese-hack-telecom-white-house.html

[11]. Xiaoya Zhang. (2025). Hu Chunying posts picture: "The top 10 facts about the United States being the world's largest surveillance empire." Global Times. https: //huanqiu.com/article/4BtEYIcMOYQ

[12]. Raza, H. (2024). Gendered Narratives in Digital Spaces: The Role of Social Media in Shaping Feminist Discourse. Journal of Gender, Power, and Social Transformation, 1(1): 1–9.

[13]. Guan, T., Yan, X., & Liu, T. (2024). The Manly “Sister Hua”: Gendered Communication by Chinese Diplomats. China: An International Journal, 22(2): 151–178.

[14]. Vedock, G. (2019, May 30). Realism is Gendered and Historically Skewed. Inkstick. https: //inkstickmedia.com/realism-is-gendered-and-historically-skewed/

[15]. Hegde, R. S. (1998). A View from Elsewhere: Locating Difference and the Politics of Representation from a Transnational Feminist Perspective. Communication Theory, 8(3): 271–297.

[16]. Simmons, B. A., & Shaffer, R. (2023). Border Anxiety in International Discourse. American Journal of Political Science.

[17]. Zhang, C. (2019). Right-wing populism with Chinese characteristics? Identity, otherness and global imaginaries in debating world politics online. European Journal of International Relations, 26(1): 135406611985025.

[18]. Han Wang. (2025). Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The United States has become an isolated entity in terms of international morality. Chinadaily.com.cn. https: //cn.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/02/WS5de4fd41a31099ab995ef37a.html

[19]. Simons, G. (2022). “Inevitable” and “Imminent” Invasions: The Logic Behind Western Media War Stories. Journal of International Analytics, 13(2): 43–58.

[20]. Hao Yu. (2025). Research on the Construction of Feminist Translation and Communication System in Diplomatic Discourse. Shanghai Translation, 182(3), 27.

[21]. Yuezhi Zhao, Junying Tang. (2019). The Discourse Positioning and Academic Position of Socialist Feminism. Education and Media Studies, (04): 29-35.

References

[1]. Runbin Hu. (2012). “Major Shift in Agenda Setting" - The "Dual Agenda Setting" Contest between Traditional Media and New Media and Its Responses. Youth Journalist, 21: 29-30.

[2]. Qingguang Guo. (2011). Communication Studies Tutorial / Chuan Bo Xue Jiao Cheng. China People's University Press.

[3]. Rongchun Xiao. (2008). "Soft Communication": A New Idea for Government Image Communication. Foreign Communication, (01): 50-52.

[4]. Xingdong Fang & Xiangming Zhong. (2022). China's Strategic Choices in the New International Communication Landscape: A Study on Paradigm Shift and Countermeasures under the Trend of Technological Evolution. Social Science Journal, (01): 70-81.

[5]. China News Service. (2020). Zhao Lijian on Telling China's Story Well: Focus on Facilitating Communication Between China and the World to Identify Points of Intersecting Interests between China and the Rest of the World - China News Service. Chinanews.com.cn. http: //www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2021/11-19/9612777.shtml

[6]. Jiyin Chen, Jiaxuan Liu. (2025). Technology Empowerment and Ecological Shaping: Research on the Intelligent Construction of an Accurate International Communication System. Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University (Social Sciences Edition), 45(03): 149-160.

[7]. Jianhua Lin, Jun Wang. (2025). On the Construction of the New Era's Foreign Narrative Discourse System: Issues, Logic and Pathways. Journal of Chongqing University (Social Science Edition), 31(02): 131-143.

[8]. Xiaoyu Sun. (2023). Hua Chunying: Is the real threat China or war-hungry G7 members? Chinadaily.com.cn. https: //www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202305/23/WS646c7721a310b6054fad4a85.html

[9]. Xin Chen. (2023). Exploring the Path of Presenting China's Story in the 5W Communication Model. Frontiers of Social Sciences, 12(03): 1437-1444.

[10]. Sanger, D. E., Barnes, J. E., Barrett, D., & Goldman, A. (2024). Emerging Details of Chinese Hack Leave U.S. Officials Increasingly Concerned. The New York Times, November 23. https: //www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/us/politics/chinese-hack-telecom-white-house.html

[11]. Xiaoya Zhang. (2025). Hu Chunying posts picture: "The top 10 facts about the United States being the world's largest surveillance empire." Global Times. https: //huanqiu.com/article/4BtEYIcMOYQ

[12]. Raza, H. (2024). Gendered Narratives in Digital Spaces: The Role of Social Media in Shaping Feminist Discourse. Journal of Gender, Power, and Social Transformation, 1(1): 1–9.

[13]. Guan, T., Yan, X., & Liu, T. (2024). The Manly “Sister Hua”: Gendered Communication by Chinese Diplomats. China: An International Journal, 22(2): 151–178.

[14]. Vedock, G. (2019, May 30). Realism is Gendered and Historically Skewed. Inkstick. https: //inkstickmedia.com/realism-is-gendered-and-historically-skewed/

[15]. Hegde, R. S. (1998). A View from Elsewhere: Locating Difference and the Politics of Representation from a Transnational Feminist Perspective. Communication Theory, 8(3): 271–297.

[16]. Simmons, B. A., & Shaffer, R. (2023). Border Anxiety in International Discourse. American Journal of Political Science.

[17]. Zhang, C. (2019). Right-wing populism with Chinese characteristics? Identity, otherness and global imaginaries in debating world politics online. European Journal of International Relations, 26(1): 135406611985025.

[18]. Han Wang. (2025). Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The United States has become an isolated entity in terms of international morality. Chinadaily.com.cn. https: //cn.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/02/WS5de4fd41a31099ab995ef37a.html

[19]. Simons, G. (2022). “Inevitable” and “Imminent” Invasions: The Logic Behind Western Media War Stories. Journal of International Analytics, 13(2): 43–58.

[20]. Hao Yu. (2025). Research on the Construction of Feminist Translation and Communication System in Diplomatic Discourse. Shanghai Translation, 182(3), 27.

[21]. Yuezhi Zhao, Junying Tang. (2019). The Discourse Positioning and Academic Position of Socialist Feminism. Education and Media Studies, (04): 29-35.

Cite this article

Ruan,D. (2025). The Transformation of China's International Communication Paradigm in Social Media and Feminism - Taking Overseas Media's Comments on China's National Diplomatic Female Spokespersons as an Example. Communications in Humanities Research,77,40-47.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Consciousness and Cognition in Language Acquisition and Literary Interpretation

ISBN: 978-1-80590-347-5(Print) / 978-1-80590-348-2(Online)
Editor: Yanhua Qin
Conference website: https://2025.icadss.org/Beijing.html
Conference date: 20 October 2025
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.77
ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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