The Digital Silk Road as an Instrument of China’s Defensive Soft Power: A Study of Digital Diplomacy under Xi Jinping’s Era

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-505-8_22How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Digital Diplomacy; Soft Power; China; Digital Silk Road; Defensive Strategy

Abstract

This article explores China’s digital diplomacy under Xi Jinping by employing a descriptive qualitative method, with a particular emphasis on the Digital Silk Road (DSR) as a strategic extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the technological sphere. The study investigates how China leverages the DSR to enhance its digital presence and influence among BRI partner nations, positioning itself as a global leader in digital development. Central to this effort are policy documents like the white paper Jointly Build a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace, which encapsulate China’s ambition to internationalize its model of digital diplomacy. The research reveals that China’s approach is simultaneously strategic and defensive-aimed at reinforcing domestic digital governance while broadening its technological footprint abroad. Utilizing soft power tools, China seeks to shape global narratives and bolster its international reputation. However, this projection of soft power is inherently defensive, intended more to safeguard national interests, cultural values, and digital sovereignty than to pursue territorial or ideological expansion. In this context, the Digital Silk Road emerges as a key mechanism that combines elements of cybersecurity and digital economy to uphold China’s digital sovereignty amid the dynamics of global technological competition.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Novi Rizka Amalia
AU  - Sartika Soesilowati
AU  - Siti Rakhmawati Soesanto
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/12
TI  - The Digital Silk Road as an Instrument of China’s Defensive Soft Power: A Study of Digital Diplomacy under Xi Jinping’s Era
BT  - Proceedings of the 7th Open Society Conference 2025 (OSC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 274
EP  - 286
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-505-8_22
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-505-8_22
ID  - Amalia2025
ER  -