Image Matters: National Reputation and China’s Export Success
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/jwjdhd98Keywords:
National Image, Media Sentiment, Export Trade, GDELT Database, High-Dimensional Fixed Effects Model.Abstract
National image is increasingly a strategic economic asset in global trade. Using media sentiment toward China from GDELT as a proxy for national image, matched with China Customs export data from March 2013 to 2024, this paper examines how national image affects China’s exports. A high-dimensional fixed effects model shows that a more positive national image significantly increases host countries’ imports from China. A one-standard-deviation increase raises exports by 0.23%–0.33%. The effect is stronger in high-income, culturally distant, and non-BRI countries. These findings support the “national image as trade soft power” hypothesis and offer policy implications for integrating image building into export promotion.
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