Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
For the past two decades, states have been engaged in negotiations concerning acceptable state behavior in cyberspace. Many states have submitted their views on the matter and most recently, cyber...Show moreFor the past two decades, states have been engaged in negotiations concerning acceptable state behavior in cyberspace. Many states have submitted their views on the matter and most recently, cyber norms negotiations have been opened up to the entire membership of the United Nations through the Open Ended Working Group. Chinese representatives have been an active participant in these negotiations since their inception, with their own preferred cyber norms to promote. The success of this promotion, however, has been limited due to several factors. In this research, this attempted norm promotion is examined in detail through primary documentation to assess what these limiting factors entail.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis analyses the legitimation strategies of the Chinese authorities on social media platform Sina Weibo during the COVID-19 epidemic. Through a combination of computational and qualitative...Show moreThis thesis analyses the legitimation strategies of the Chinese authorities on social media platform Sina Weibo during the COVID-19 epidemic. Through a combination of computational and qualitative methods, it first highlights how Weibo’s digital design directly benefits central information control objectives. It then builds upon a theoretical model of disaster legitimacy strategies to demonstrate how official media make use of this design in their legitimation strategies. These strategies include age-old and highly familiar nationalistic frames, a recurring emphasis on positive energy, and strategic engagement and disengagement. This combination not only legitimises the authorities’ actions, but also delegitimises critical discourses. Nonetheless, this power is not absolute, and this thesis also presents instances in which actors “within” the system present challenges for the central authorities and force them to manage and re-frame ambiguous discourses.Show less
