The Image Of The Country And Its Behavior

The formulation of a country's strategies and policies is based on its own interests and demands as well as this country's perception, evaluation and emotion towards target country, which can be called target country's National Image. In other words, a country's National Image exerts great influence upon the formulation and implementation of inter-state policies. In this sense, National Image has become an influential soft power upon inter-state behaviors and powerful tool in seeking and realizing a country's own interests. Meanwhile, how to maintain an upright and positive National Image has become a hard to achieve goal. For instance, China, after decades of rapid economic growth and great achievements, is now being plunged into such a dilemma. China is now lifting itself out of poverty and advancing on the fast track towards prosperity. However, international community, especially some western developed countries, bears no respectful attitude toward China, and this has put China into a plight of high sensitivity and vulnerability due to the significant status quo and influence of western developed countries in international political pattern. Against this backdrop, it is necessary for us to contemplate the issues hereinafter: what is National Image? How about its formation, it construction and its transformation? And how does it influence inter-state behaviors?The above-mentioned issues are the ones to be studied in the dissertation. This paper, focusing on two themes namely power and image transformation, analyzes the intrinsic connection between National Image and inter-state behaviors and tries to establish a brand-new theoretical framework for National Image study through the research in four aspects namely the relationship between the connotation and elements of National Image, deeper motive power structure and power property of National Image, the route and mechanism for the formation, construction and transformation of National Image and the interrelationship mechanism between National Image and inter-state behavior.First of all, through elements analysis, this paper points out that National Image consists of three parts perception, evaluation and emotion; through structure analysis, this paper points out that National Image is not the outcome of stationary relationship between subject and object, but the outcome of intersubjectivity and further inter-image. In other words, National Image is the outcome of interactivity between the cognition of one country toward different countries of image. Through the analysis of elements and structure, the paper aims to deduce that National Image is the outcome of dynamic Game Playing of national power which not only displays the Game Playing process of different countries' soft power, but also shows that of hard power of different countries. Soft power and hard power are prerequisite to and conducive to each other. And this vividly demonstrates the power property of National Image.Secondly, through further analysis, the paper indicates that power property is rooted from the inner demand of mankind. And it is due to this demand that the deeper motive structure of National Image takes shape, which determines the intrinsic mechanism of the formation and construction of National Image. Variability, levels and diversity enable the transformation of National Image. The issues like potential threats and challenges confronting demand often result in a country's sense of crisis. National Image is usually intensified and wavered or even transformed in the generation and solution of crisis.Thirdly, the paper carries further study upon the formation, construction and transformation of National Image. It discusses the roles that mass media and inter-state exchange play in the formation and construction of National Image. It also analyzes the differences and integration in the process of formation and construction, thus further demonstrating the role that crisis plays in the transformation of National Image.Fourthly, the paper argues that whether it is the power property of National Image, the deeper motive structure of National Image or the transformation of National Image resulting from the motive structure, they all have great influences upon inter-state behaviors. As a matter of fact, perception, evaluation and emotion are closely connected with people's mental activity. That is to say, National Image exerts influence upon inter-state behaviors via people's mental activity especially that of a country's decision makers. Fifthly, the paper, from the perspective of empirical study, sorts out the history of China's national image in the eyes of westerners. It explores the intrinsic connection between the changes of demand of western world and the transformation of China's National Image. It analyzes the influence of power Game Playing between China and western countries upon China's National Image held by western countries. It also discusses the impacts that perception, evaluation and emotion exert upon western countries' cognition towards China National Image.In conclusion, the paper puts forward solutions to the construction of China's National Image. The paper thinks that based upon the demands of human society and the appeal for resolving crisis and under the guiding principle of different but live in harmony, we should take advantage of mass media communication whose orientation has shifted from propaganda to communication and the inter-state direct exchange manner whose purpose is to establish amicable relationship, and then a country's National Image can be refined and enhanced.