The Digital Silk Road as an Instrument of China^s Defensive Soft Power: A Study of Digital Diplomacy under Xi Jinping^s Era Novi Rizka Amalia(1*), Sartika Soesilowati(2*), Siti Rokhmawati Soesanto(3*)
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.
Keywords: Digital Diplomacy- Soft Power- China- Digital Silk Road- Defensive Strategy
Topic: Sustainable Uncertainty Politics in the Digital Age
