The WeChat social media platform from a foreign institution perspective: WeChat’s role as a soft power tool

Journal title SOCIOLOGIA DELLA COMUNICAZIONE
Author/s Tatiana Mazali, Lorenza Scaldaferri
Publishing Year 2023 Issue 2023/65
Language English Pages 21 P. 69-89 File size 459 KB
DOI 10.3280/SC2023-065005
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WeChat is the major Chinese social media platform, with over a billion users worldwide. Using WeChat is essential for Chinese citizens’ daily lives, and at the same time for foreign individuals, institutions, and companies entertaining rela-tionships with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In this paper, the authors an-alyse the role of the WeChat social media platform as a soft power tool. Through the case study of Politecnico di Torino as a foreign institution opening a WeChat Official Account, the authors explore the numerous purposes the platform offers and its impact on a foreign institution.

Keywords: WeChat, soft power, sharp power, social media platform, censorship, social control.

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Tatiana Mazali, Lorenza Scaldaferri, The WeChat social media platform from a foreign institution perspective: WeChat’s role as a soft power tool in "SOCIOLOGIA DELLA COMUNICAZIONE " 65/2023, pp 69-89, DOI: 10.3280/SC2023-065005