Engaging Global Audiences as Social Media Influencers and Supporters of China’s Public Diplomacy: A Study of Pro-China Western YouTubers

This exploratory mixed-methods research study examined 27 Western YouTubers who are pro-China with over 644 million views and 4.7 million subscribers in 2024. We analyzed their top 10 videos N = 270) with human coding using both qualitative and quantitative content analysis and most-liked comments on these videos using human–machine collaboration with generative AI and audience metrics, showing how influencer marketing techniques can be used to engage audiences and the potential public diplomacy benefits for China on global social media. This study identified the influencer appeals and content attributes in the videos that YouTubers used to promote China’s image and refute the criticisms of China to their Western peers. We found that most videos use Chinese in addition to English, and almost all videos related to China feature at least one China accomplishment icon. Their audiences are mostly a mix of Chinese and Western audiences. These YouTubers’ most common appeals are authenticity and homophily. They present a very friendly character and share their daily experiences in China. Content comparing China with the West or refutation of Western criticism was not found more effective in engaging audiences than videos not using these approaches. By speaking up for China, these YouTubers and their followers form a pro-China community on YouTube, offering perspectives different from what they received from Western mainstream media to global audiences.