What's in a name? : Analysing the role of netizens in Beijing's foreign policymaking

Abstract

As a result of an online outcry by its netizens in early 2018, Beijing decided to demand dozens of foreign companies, most of them international airlines, to re-designate Taipei as “Taiwan, China” on their websites. This is unprecedented due to the PRC’s tendency to isolate its rival, the ROC, mainly in the diplomatic arena. Hence, this dissertation seeks to analyse the role of netizens in influencing Beijing’s foreign policymaking, especially with regards to politically sensitive issues like the status of Taiwan. By employing an enhanced version of Putnam’s two-level game, which also delves into the internal dynamics of the key actors involved in the case, this dissertation argues that although PRC netizens have an agenda-setting role, it is limited as Beijing still has ultimate control over what can be aired in the public sphere. Additionally, the origins of online nationalism in the PRC and its relationship with the Taiwan issue, coupled with the implications for domestic politics, Cross-Strait relations, and foreign enterprises operating in the PRC will also be discussed.