Efficacy of China’s Soft Power in Africa: Impact of SPI engagement and media exposure on Nigerians’ attitude towards China (INC/ESN Joint Session)

The art of persuasion and the enigmatic role the human cognitive process play in the transformation of persuasive messages into attitude formation and behavioural disposition have, for a long time, been objects of fascination among social and behavioural scientists, so much so that they have been investigated across different disciplines and in a variety of social contexts. More so, nations and governments have always leveraged various diplomatic initiatives as persuasive strategies to advance their interests and to evoke favourable attitudes among foreign publics. Over the last two decades, Africa, has witnessed an increase in Chinese interests manifested through accelerated diplomatic efforts in the fields of economic, cultural, media, and technological initiatives, geared towards projecting Chinese values and winning the hearts and minds of Africans. Although the budding Sino-African relations has been accorded enormous attention in both the media and the academia, there is little empirical understanding about the acculturation of Chinese values and the effectiveness of China’s soft power in Africa. Likewise, despite the plethora of scholarship on soft power as a major component of foreign diplomacy, soft power instruments (SPIs) have rarely been studied for their persuasive effects on the attitudes of foreign publics. Drawing on bodies of literature from social psychology, public diplomacy and communication studies, this paper investigates how cognitive, affective, and behavioural intentions of Nigerians towards China are influenced by the persuasive strategies (soft power instruments) employed by China in the continent. This study further develops a theoretical model that explores the correlational trajectory of engagement with SPIs (i.e., awareness and interaction with SPIs), media exposure to Sino-African-related information, and Nigerian’s attitudes towards China on the three attitudinal levels. Findings from a clustered random survey (n=624) reveal – among other interesting observations – that Nigerians’ cognitive and affective attitudes as well as behavioural intentions towards China are multidimensional and majorly predicted by their personal experience (engagement with China’s presence) and their second-hand experience (exposure to China-related news in local media), rather than by the intensity and tenacity of China’s diplomatic strategies in the country. Evidence further demonstrates, on the one hand, an admiration for China as a country; and on the other hand, a deep-rooted discontent about China’s activities in Africa. On a pragmatic level, the findings expose the inadequacies of China’s soft power strategies in Africa as its projected international message of mutualism and partnership is counteracted by its perceived practices of ruthlessness, exploitation, and economic sabotage.