When Trump Lies, We Mock Him. Here’s Why That Doesn’t Work on China’s Xi
The United States has a planet-sized PR problem that appears not just inexplicable but completely bizarre. A shocking study from Pew Research has found that China is now viewed more positively than America in nearly 30 of the 36 countries surveyed — including longtime allies such as the United Kingdom.
TL;DR
- China is viewed more positively than the U.S. in nearly 30 of 36 surveyed countries, including allies like the UK.
- China's PR success is attributed to its long-term strategy of making itself economically indispensable through manufacturing, tech, Belt and Road Initiative, and rare earth metals.
- China's tactics include strategic silence, controlling information flow, censoring dissent, and employing gaslighting without significant public contradiction at home.
- The U.S.'s openness, free press, and public criticism, while democratic strengths, can make the country appear chaotic and divided.
- Countries geographically close to China, such as Japan, South Korea, India, and the Philippines, are less fooled by its PR efforts.
- The article suggests the U.S. needs a long-term crisis communications strategy, focusing on its citizens and immigrants as key stakeholders to build positive public opinion.