Current Issue
Vol.69 No. 3
June, 2026
Between Friendship and Romance: How Chinese Diplomats Use Twitter to Construct Official Narratives of the Russia-Ukraine War Under Conflicting Foreign Policy Interests
Hung-chieh Shen ；Mao-chia Sun；Chien-wu Alex Hsueh
In February 2022, the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war posed a major diplomatic challenge for China: how should it publicly position itself in response? On one hand, under pressure from Western countries, supporting Russia clearly aligned with China’s strategic interests. On the other hand, Ukraine has maintained a longstanding strategic partnership with China since its independence, as well as it is one of China’s key partners in Eastern Europe. Moreover, the principle of “mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” is a core tenet that China has consistently emphasized in its diplomacy. Faced with these two conflicting foreign policy interests, how did China articulate its position and engage in external communication to maintain its international image? This research examines the discursive strategies employed by 86 Chinese diplomats on Twitter in response to the Russia–Ukraine war throughout the year 2022. The analysis yields three key findings. First, regarding the attribution of responsibility for the war, NATO is portrayed by Chinese diplomats as the primary cause, with its eastward expansion framed as a direct threat to Russian security. Meanwhile, the United States is depicted as the main actor driving the escalation of the conflict. Second, in terms of China’s stance toward Russia and Ukraine, Chinese diplomats express strong support for Russia—particularly emphasizing bilateral cooperation and strategic partnership—while maintaining a neutral tone toward Ukraine. Third, with respect to the evolution of discourse over time, China’s diplomatic messaging shifted from an initial emphasis on “assertive diplomacy alongside multilateralism” to a later focus on “peace advocacy and multilateralism,” reflecting China’s adaptive response to developments in the war. By analyzing the strategic narratives of Chinese diplomats on Twitter, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of China’s propaganda strategy between conflicting foreign policy imperatives.
Keywords:Russia-Ukraine War, China, Digital Diplomacy, Narrative Strategy, Text Mining
Neo-Interpretation of the Sino-Vatican Agreement: Provision Simulation Based on the Concordat Model
Thomas Ching-wei Tu ；Maria John P. Selvamani
The Holy See and the People’s Republic of China signed the provisional agreement in 2018, which has since been renewed three times in 2020, 2022, and 2024. However, the agreement is experimental in nature, and neither the Vatican nor China has disclosed the text, making it impossible for outsiders to accurately analyze the substantive impact of it on Sino-Vatican relations and the Catholic Church in China. Existing literature focuses on methods such as Church-State disputes, the implementation outcome of the agreement, comparison between the “Vietnam Model” and the “China Model,” and speculation based on the statements of officials from both sides. These perspectives only focus on the bilateral relations between China and the Vatican, ignoring the Holy See’s global diplomatic strategy relative to countries around the world. Therefore, to broaden the scope of understanding the Provisional Agreement, this study first examines Canon Law and Concordats to explain the meta-norm of the Holy See’s foreign policy. Secondly, by using the comparative method, the study analyzes the practices of the appointment of bishops in contemporary Concordats as a basis for simulating the Sino-Vatican’s provision. Furthermore, the paper also interprets the implications of the Provisional Agreement for the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Catholic Church in Taiwan, as well as the prospects for the Agreement during the time of Pope Leo XIV, through an understanding of Concordats.
Keywords:Sino-Vatican Relations, Appointment of Bishops, Concordat, Holy See Diplomacy, Vatican
Signs of an Impending “Paradigm Shift”: Continuities and Transformations in Contemporary China Studies within Taiwan's Political Science Community
Chih-nien Liu
In recent years, the concepts of “the renewed departure of China studies from China” and “China studies without China” have become key concerns among Taiwan’s political science community, which occupies a distinctive position within global China studies. Taiwan’s research community has evolved over nearly eight decades, profoundly shaped by shifts in the international order, leadership transitions in both China and Taiwan, and socio-economic transformations driven by government policies. The influence of these factors has varied across historical periods. Drawing on a sociology of knowledge perspective, this study empirically examines how political changes over the past quarter-century have affected China studies in Taiwan. Specifically, it analyzes the proportion, research topics, and methodologies of China-related articles published in political science journals indexed in the Taiwan Social Sciences Citation Index (TSSCI), thereby identifying trends in the transformation of research orientations. The findings indicate that scholarly practices within Taiwan’s China studies community are undergoing reconfiguration. While multiple factors interact to shape this transformation, the primary driving force is the leadership transition in China. Since Xi Jinping assumed power, his core governance strategy, “a holistic approach to national security,” has restricted access to research sites, constrained data collection, and heightened researchers’ concerns about political risks, particularly among early-career researchers. Research on the “China factor,” traditionally a major strength of Taiwan’s China studies community, is increasingly giving way to research on the “China impact” and “China influence,” while the prominence of field research has declined markedly. Of particular concern is the steep decline in research on the political and security dimensions of cross-Strait relations, despite rising risks of conflict across the Taiwan Strait. This trend reflects a gradual weakening of the connection between academic research and policy analysis, potentially reducing the community’s visibility in the public sphere and its influence on policymaking.
Keywords:Sociology of Knowledge, Paradigm Shift, Taiwanese Political Science Community, China Studies, Cross-Strait Studies
Book Review: Dreher, A., Fuchs, A., Parks, B. C., Strange, A. M., and Tierney, M. J. (2022). Banking on Beijing: The Aims and Impacts of China’s Overseas Development Program. Cambridge University Press.
Chihwei Yu