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Ningbo city branding and public diplomacy under the belt and road initiative in China

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Abstract

This paper takes Ningbo as a case study to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of the city image and city branding strategies under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Using stakeholder approach and in-depth interviews with 53 city officials, residents, businesses, and expatriates in Ningbo, the authors argue that public diplomacy has influenced city branding strategies in the globalizing world. Different stakeholders have different perceptions toward city brand image based on their interests, focuses, and concerns. Expatriates are a crucial external stakeholder group in the city branding process. This study makes both theoretical and empirical contributions. Theoretically, the study contributes to enhance the link between public diplomacy and city branding concepts, thus further bridging the disciplines of international relations and marketing with the inclusion of the expatriates as significant stakeholders. It also provides interview-based empirical data to the studies of public diplomacy and city branding in the Chinese context.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Nottingham Ningbo China, 199 Taikang East Road, Room 438, Trent Building, Ningbo, 315100, People’s Republic of China

    Shixin Ivy Zhang

  2. University of Nottingham Ningbo China, 199 Taikang East Road, Room 270, Trent Building, Ningbo, 315100, People’s Republic of China

    Yi Wang

  3. University of Nottingham Ningbo China, 199 Taikang East Road, Room 420, Trent Building, Ningbo, 315100, People’s Republic of China

    Nancy X. Liu

  4. University of Nottingham Ningbo China, 199 Taikang East Road, Room 324, Science and Engineering Building, Ningbo, 315100, People’s Republic of China

    Yat-Ming Loo

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  1. Shixin Ivy Zhang
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  2. Yi Wang
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  4. Yat-Ming Loo
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Correspondence to Shixin Ivy Zhang.

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Zhang, S.I., Wang, Y., Liu, N.X. et al. Ningbo city branding and public diplomacy under the belt and road initiative in China. Place Brand Public Dipl 17, 127–139 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-020-00161-8

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