Dechun Zhang

In case you are in Vancouver this Friday (Sep 26), I will be giving a talk around noon time (12.30-2.30 pm) on knowledge decolonisation and identity politics in Chinese IR at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia/UBC.
sppga.ubc.ca/events/event...

Thanks Sinan.

🔔 New #OpenAccess Article in #JCCA Journal of Current Chinese Affairs @giga-hamburg.de

Weiwen Yu and Dechun Zhang @dechunzhang.bsky.social analyse 213,435 #Weibo posts to trace how engagement with the digital memorial for Dr. #WenliangLi evolved journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

My new paper, Digital Mourning and Civic Engagement: Emotional Dynamics on China’s Virtual Wailing Wall shows Dr. Li Wenliang’s Weibo wall shifted from talk to grief & remembrance under censorship, regions & diaspora, in Journal of Current Chinese Affairs.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Dechun Zhang's paper on how nationalist propaganda works as an authoritarian infrastructure in China is another of the papers in our forthcoming special issue on Authoritarianism in the Digital Age. Check them all out here: journals.sagepub.com/home/DDS

International Communication Association The upcoming calendar is currently empty.

I’m excited to share that I am running for election as the Student and Early Career Representative of the Mass Communication Division of ICA. If you are a member of the Mass Communication Division, I would be grateful for your support. Please consider voting for me: www.icahdq.org/page/Electio...

The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia (Scopus-indexed) seeks reviewers for: 1) Geopolitics at the Internet’s Core (Springer, 2025) & 2) Innovation-Development Detours for Latecomers (CUP, 2024). Reviews: 3–5 pp. Info: jceasia.org Volunteer: jceabooks@gmail.com

📢 Call for Papers – Special Issue
The Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia invites submissions for:
“Living with ChatGPT: Social, Psychological, and Economic Impacts of Generative AI in East Asia”
CFP details 👉 drive.google.com/file/d/1G_TJ...

I argue that soft authoritarianism in China is an adaptive governance model that blends selective openness, participatory propaganda, and algorithmic control to simulate responsiveness and mobilize nationalism, while constructing a fear environment for public through censorship and coercion.

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

New piece in @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social: “Digital Nationalism in China: Expression, Propaganda, and Soft Authoritarianism”. It shows how digital nationalism in China works as soft authoritarianism, blending control with participatory propaganda. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Probably a small thing to many, but I just noticed I’ve reached a small milestone — 200 citations on Google Scholar.

Adaptive Sovereignty: China’s Evolving Legislative Framework for Transnational Data Governance | Article | Politics and Governance Ruoxin Su, Dechun Zhang

My new paper, coauthored with Ruoxin Su, “Adaptive Sovereignty: China’s Evolving Legislative Framework for Transnational Data Governance,” introduces the adaptive sovereignty model—blending state control with selective regulatory flexibility. Now in Politics and Governance: doi.org/10.17645/pag...

New in JCEA: Personal Political Characteristics and Trust in State Media: A Case Study of China
Xin Tong analyzes how political traits shape trust in Chinese state media using Asian Barometer data—offering insights into media trust in authoritarian contexts.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...

New in JCEA: Navigating the Audience Costs of Humanitarian Aid for Rising States: A Case Study of India’s COVID-19 Response
Xiaojuan Qiu & Liya Yan explore how India balanced sovereignty, legitimacy, and public perception in managing aid during the pandemic.
🔗 doi.org/10.17477/jce...

Between Nationalist Propaganda and Public Mobilization: People’s Daily’s Nationalist Discourses and Their Public Responses on Chinese Social Media Abstract. This study offers new perspectives on the evolving trajectory of state-led nationalist discourses and their engagement with online publics by exa

My new coauthored paper with Jun Liu & Hsuanlei Shao, “Between Nationalist Propaganda and Public Mobilization,” is out in Oxford Intersections. We use computational analysis to explore how China’s propaganda shapes nationalist discourse and how the public responds on Weibo. doi.org/10.1093/9780...

Thrilled to be part of the team for this newly launched ICA journal! Excited for the journey ahead under the leadership of @bowmanspartan.bsky.social

Looking forward to seeing great contributions—consider submitting your work to help shape this exciting new publication!

Global Perspectives in Communication | Oxford Academic Global Perspectives in Communication

@gpccomm.bsky.social (GPC) was officially launched at #ICA25 by Editor-in-Chief @bowmanspartan.bsky.social. The journal welcomes submissions across a wide range of topics. I’m also pleased to join the editorial board as GPC begins this exciting new chapter.

Learn more: academic.oup.com/gpc

🎓 I successfully defended my PhD today at Leiden University!
Huge thanks to my supervisors, Prof. Florian Schneider & Dr. Hwang Yih-Jye, and to colleagues at LIAS & University of Copenhagen for the incredible support.
On to the next chapter! 🙌

How can you tell if your paper is a good editorial fit for us? We're very open to the "anything under the tent" at @icahdq.bsky.social. If a paper had been priorly accepted at #ICA25 (or even earlier), let us know in your editorial letter - that's at least a good signal for fit!

At #ICA25, we hosted around two dozen early career scholars for a peer review workshop. A few takeaways, for those interested, follow in this thread.

NOTE: We hear a rumor that @icahdq.bsky.social might share some more details on the workshop later, and we'll be there also. =)

ICA friends, You’re warmly invited to join us for the launch event of Global Perspectives in Communication, the new official journal of ICA.

📍 Mineral Ballroom A, Hyatt Regency Denver
🕕 Today, 6:00–7:00 PM

We look forward to celebrating with you!

Join us on Friday, 30 May (11:00–12:15 CET) for a presentation of our findings from analyzing 2.8 million X posts by Chinese and Russian accounts, with Jun Liu and me.

Hosted by the @giga-hamburg.de

#GIGA #ChinaSeries

Chinese nationalism in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis Prof.dr. F.A. Schneider dr. Y. Huang

I’m happy to share that my PhD defence will take place on June 25, 2025. I’ll share my research on China’s digital nationalism in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

If you’re interested, you’re very welcome to join. Here’s the link with all the details:
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...

Join us on 30 May (11.00-12.15 CET) to listen to @dechunzhang.bsky.social and Jun Liu talking about state-sponsored propaganda based on posts from Chinese and Russian accounts on X

@giga-hamburg.de #GIGAChinaSeries

Excited to welcome everyone to join us at @giga-hamburg.de , where I'll be giving a guest talk on our new research with Dr. Jun Liu, "From Tweets to Tactics: Unpacking State-Sponsored Propaganda Campaigns on Twitter."

Deadline in a week for submitting your abstract for the JCCA special issue on Digital China, edited by @dechunzhang.bsky.social and Wenting Yu. Check out the call for papers below
journals.sagepub.com/page/cca/cal...

⏰ Only *ONE WEEK* left to submit your abstract for the JCCA Special Issue"Digital China 🛜: Technology, Governance, and the Reshaping of Society" (Drs. DeChun Zhang @dechunzhang.bsky.social & Wenting Yu)

Deadline: April 25, 2025

@giga-hamburg.de | @sagepub.com | @chusinan.bsky.social

Thrilled to deliver a guest lecture at Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics on China’s digital politics for master’s students. A rewarding experience with an engaging discussion!

If you work on digital China, we warmly invite you to contribute to our special issue. There is still one month left to submit!

How China will end up the biggest winner from UK and US foreign aid cuts As countries lose vital foreign aid from the UK and US, some fear governments could turn to China to seek funding packages saddled with unsustainable debts. Alicja Hagopian reports

My previous paper, China’s “Weaponized” Vaccine: Intertwining Between International and Domestic Politics, is quoted in The Independent‘s article on China’s foreign aid strategy. www.independent.co.uk/world/china-...