| Abstract [eng] |
This Master thesis examines manifestation of China's cognitive warfare against the United States through the Chinese Communist Party-controlled media outlet "The Global Times". Cognitive warfare is a newly emerging integral military field that aims to control the cognitive cognition of the public. China has been developing and implementing the concept of cognitive warfare for the past 20 years. After D. Trump won the 2024 US presidential election, bilateral relations with China have been deteriorating due to US decision apply a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports. To this regard, China may take countermeasures based on unconventional warfare means - cognitive warfare, the manifestation of which is not obvious and has not been widely studied. The object of this study is the manifestation of China's cognitive warfare against the US through the Chinese Communist Party-controlled media outlet "The Global Times". The aim of the research is to comprehensively investigate China's cognitive warfare against the US based on a methodological approach adapted to case analysis based on Jeremy (Yen-ming) Chen's cognitive warfare via media control mechanisms and Hung and Hung's cognitive warfare manifestation in communication means. Research objectives: • To critically evaluate the concept of cognitive warfare and analyze the development of China's cognitive warfare strategy. • Based on Jeremy (Yen-ming) Chen's cognitive warfare media control mechanisms and Hung and Hung's methodological approaches to the manifestation of cognitive warfare in communication tools, adapt and construct the research model of this work. • Based on Jeremy (Yen-ming) Chen's cognitive warfare through media control mechanisms, delete the manifestation of China's cognitive warfare against the United States through the media. • Based on Hung and Hung's adapted methodological approach to the manifestation of cognitive warfare in communication, practically analyze the architecture of China's cognitive warfare against the United States through the media outlet "The Global Times" controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. The theoretical basis of the work is based on a critical analysis of cognitive warfare concepts and the logic of China's strategic "Three Wars" doctrine. It also draws on Jeremy (Yen-ming) Chen's mechanisms of media control in cognitive warfare, which allow to analyze how the media is utilized and exploited to achieve strategic goals, and Hung and Hung's research approach to the manifestation of cognitive warfare in communication. The research methodology of this paper is substantiated on an adapted methodological approach, based on Jeremy (Yen-ming) Chen's analysis of the manifestation of cognitive warfare through media control mechanisms and Hung and Hung's manifestation of cognitive warfare in communication (without impact measurement), applying quantitative and qualitative research methods and analyzing the publications of "The Global Times" from February 2-28, 2025. Publications are selected according to the keywords "U.S." and "Trump. Results shows, that the architecture of Chinese media communication is based on confirming the audience's preconceptions and managing the "error signal", creating doubt about the legitimacy of US actions and leaving space for the creation of narratives favorable to China, which are reinforced by the use of authorities and information sources. While, regular repetition and framing of information encourages the audience to normalize and accept the disseminated narrative as self-evident. The main limitations of the study: one information channel; short research period; failure to apply the logic of Hung and Hung's multi-layering, inability to measure the impact. Recommendations for future research: comparative analysis with other media tools; measurement of Hung and Hung's multi-layering; analysis of a longer research period and measurement of the impact on the target audience. |
