PROJECT PRESENTATION
PubDiplo is a four-year Franco–Hong Kong collaborative research project led jointly by the DICEN laboratory in France and the School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Grants: ANR-25-CE41-4061 · RGC-A-HKBU203/25
Why compare France and China?
France was the first Western European country to recognize the People’s Republic of China during the Cold War. The two countries share a historically significant diplomatic relationship and a long tradition of mutual cultural influence through language teaching, exhibitions, cinema, and international broadcasting. These intertwined histories not only lay the foundation for their current exchange, but also make the France–China comparison a compelling case for examining how nation-states deploy different strategies to build global influence.
CORE RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
In this context, our fundamental hypothesis posits that the pervasive integration of digital tools and emerging technologies has fostered the emergence of more open communication within public diplomacy. This evolution transcends the historically secretive and exclusive interactions among elites, extending the sphere of diplomacy to encompass a broader transnational public engagement.
Contrasting forms of digital statecraft
Since the mid-2010s, both countries have invested heavily in digital statecraft and outreach, but with contrasting approaches and styles. French ministries and museums built multilingual social media to showcase heritage, education, and tourism, foregrounding cultural exchange and reputation. China assembled a vast and centralized external communication system—spanning state media, diplomats, cultural institutions, and local governments—which deploys strategic and assertive narratives.
Artificial intelligence has ascended as a new frontier of geopolitics. China is positioning AI as a pillar of economic and diplomatic strategy, promoting cutting-edge research and technical standards. France has made significant advances in AI governance, including regulations and ethical norms. Public diplomacy is where these paths meet: Beijing and Paris both seek to persuade global publics about the trustworthiness and legitimacy of their respective approaches to AI. Parallel to their race in innovation is a contest over narratives and norms.
AI as a contested geopolitical terrain
Comparative research design
Against this evolving backdrop, the project presents an in-depth comparative analysis of French and Chinese digital public diplomacy, with a special focus on AI as a contested terrain. It examines the two countries’ cooperation and competition in AI leadership and innovation. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, we will map the key actors, their messaging and public reception, both online and offline. The project is intended not only to advance academic scholarship, but also to inform a broad, non-specialist audience.
PubDiplo argues that digital public diplomacy is no longer just about “getting the message out.” It is an arena where nation-states compete to define problems, set rules and build legitimacy in the eyes of global publics. France and China offer contrasting pathways to the same goal: shaping global AI infrastructures and standards from technical, legal and narrative perspectives. By illuminating those pathways through rigorous and accessible research, the project enables the general public to scrutinize claims, assess policy choices and take part in the conversations shaping diplomacy in the digital age.
Academic and public contribution
Three Research Priorities
PRIORITY 01
Policy, institutions and digital transformation
The first focus of PubDiplo is to examine how France and China define, institutionalize and transform public diplomacy in the digital era. It focuses on policy frameworks, institutional discourses and strategic visions in both countries, with particular attention to the ways digitalization reshapes foreign policy, public communication and emerging forms of tech diplomacy, especially in relation to artificial intelligence and global governance.
The second research priority explores how French and Chinese public diplomacy actors communicate, interact and construct narratives on digital platforms. Through comparative case studies, it investigates the roles of state institutions, cultural organizations, media actors, diasporic networks and online influencers in shaping France–China digital public diplomacy across cultural, political and geopolitical contexts.
PRIORITY 02
Digital communication strategies and practices
PRIORITY 03
Public reception, impact and evaluation
The third priority assesses how digital public diplomacy initiatives influence perceptions, attitudes and public debates in France and China. It examines how different publics respond to diplomatic campaigns, narratives and cultural or technological initiatives, combining public opinion analysis with the study of online discourse in order to better understand the effectiveness and limits of digital public diplomacy.
PubDiplo 