The Study Of Sports And National Image Of China

Competition in overall national strength is increasingly fierce with the development and deepening of globalization and national image is becoming more important in international relations. National image is about the basic impression and holistic estimation from the public of other states and is an important component of soft power. China is always placing emphasis on the construction and building of national image. With the rising comprehensive national strength and national power, China pays more attention to the building of national image. Sport activity is a kind of activity with recreation, interaction, communication, variety and competition. It is rich in political function and easily loved, understood and accepted by citizens, having a unique advantage in building national image. The route of building national image is diverse. Sports can represent national image itself, meanwhile it provides a platform for building national image. Sports can also be a means of building national image through external contacts. The goal of a nation and its image, defined by national interest and atmosphere of international relations then, varies in different periods of time. Progress was made in building national image through sports since the founding of PRC 60 years ago.It is of importance and positiveness to research the effect of relations between sports and building China’s national image on constructing and building China’s national image through a systematic approach. This thesis, utilizing theories relating to soft power to research sports in shaping national image, consists of four parts. The first part defines sports and national image, summarizes theories relating to national image of the soft power theory. The second part is about the relations between sports and national image, upon which analyzes the approach that sports involves in shaping national image from aspects of sports performance, sport events and sport diplomacy. The third part is a case study of China, dividing nearly 70 years history since its foundation into three stages. The comprehensive national strength of China and international environment it faces, as well as image China shaped, differ in three stages. This part aims at clarifying how sports shape the national image that China needs in three different stages. The fourth part is the outlook of how China shapes its national image using sports and solutions and advice are given from aspects of sports institutions, sports resources and sports communications.