The Role of Social Media in PrejudicePublic Attitudes Towards China under the Visa-Free Transit Policy

This study investigates the evolution of public attitudes toward China in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period, specifically before and after the implementation of Chinas Visa-Free Transit Policy. Therefore, this paper collected and analyzed 31,395 comments from the #China Travel and #ChinaVlog on YouTube, spanning from May 5, 2023, to the present, regarding the top ten most viewed videos. According to the indirect intergroup contact theory, topic modelling and sentiment analysis utilizing MDCOR and SENA permit the examination of the major topics and emotional attitudes expressed by individuals in their comments on #China Travel and #ChinaVlog videos across different periods. The results of this research suggested that individuals perceptions of China have experienced a significant positive shift after implementing the visa-free policy; however, negative topics and sentiments still endure. The knowledge generated in this study may assist in identifying the prevailing perceptions held by foreign netizens regarding China in the present era. Consequently, it also facilitates an evaluation of the impact of the Visa-Free Transit Policy.