China's global image online

Connected world provides opportunities to engage in dialogue to alter outdated and prejudiced views of the country

While China is now constantly discussed around the world, it is still portrayed in the global media as aggressive and not open to dialogue.

But if the world's media took the time to learn about China and support a constructive dialogue it would see that this is not the case. Unfortunately that is unlikely to happen as many of the rich countries today are in decline and adopting a retrograde mentality. Because of this, old ideas and stereotypes about China still dominate the global media, both traditional and new social media.

However, in the coming years China's image will be increasingly shaped in a connected world, a world in which people will not only be passive consumers of information, many of them will be active providers of information through different social media. In a connected world people will trust their social networks more than traditional media, and the social networks with the most trust will create a virtual image of China.

This digital image of China will be determined by the images, stories, comments, blogs and videos posted online, rather than through the print media, television and radio. So China must pay attention to its "digital twin".

In a connected world it is no longer enough to do good things and tell people about them, it is also necessary to engage in dialogue with people around the world. If China does not engage in these dialogues, its digital twin will end up distorted.

We are rapidly moving into a hyper-connected society where transparency and enormous amounts of information are creating new opportunities and new challenges. In order to overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities it is important that China, and those with an understanding of China, explore new ways to encourage dialogue so that its digital twin is not shaped to suit others' agendas.