International Communication and Public Diplomacy in the Web 3.0 era: trend and vision

Author: Shi Anbin (Director and Professor of Tsinghua University Eggstein's External Communication Research Center, academic consultant of this magazine) Yang Chenzhen (Master of Journalism and Communication College of Journalism and Communication of Tsinghua University)

Source: "Young Reporter", No. 15, 2022

The history of news communication is closely linked to the development of media technology, and the evolution of human communication is always closely related to the reform of media technology. The invention and extensive use of metal live printing and printing machines, known as the "Gudenbao Revolution", is the earliest example of the combination of cutting -edge technology and media communication, which has promoted a qualitative leap in human society and civilization. In view of this, the transmitting scholar McLuhan compares the development of human communication to the "Gudenbao galaxy". The subsequent and emerging electronics and digital mediums caused by the tremendous changes brought about by the "Guden Castle Revolution" after the "chemical reaction" of technological changes and transformation of communication and transformation.

Historically, the early human early communication activities of spoken language, writing, printing, and printing were performed within a certain time and space due to the limitations of the level of science and technology at that time, and it was not allowed to achieve cross -border and cross -regions. "". It was not until the advent of the telephone technology of the telegram of the telegram in the middle of the 19th century that it marked the beginning of the international communication. From radio short -wave broadcasting and satellite TV to the Internet, the breakthroughs in technology have greatly expanded the time and space, from international communication and upgrading to real -time, intuitive and high interaction global communication.

From the development of newspapers, radio and television to the Internet to social media, it can be seen that the pace of technological changes leading to the iteration of media dissemination updates is getting faster and faster. In recent years, the iteration frequency has even been shortened to just three or five years. Taking the "new media" of the Internet as an example, in the past 20 years, the first generation of Internet (Web1.0), the second -generation Internet (Web2.0), and the third -generation Internet (Web3.0) and other development stages. The international communication ecology and pattern in different development stages have also shown different characteristics. At present, during the transition period of Web2.0 to Web 3.0. In the past year, new technologies represented by NFT and Yuan Universe have disrupted the theory and practice of international communication and public diplomacy with the new technologies and their related plans. influences.

This article will first go back to the main features of the Internet during the web1.0 and Web2.0 period, and summarize the evolution of international communication and public diplomacy in the corresponding period. Then start with emerging technologies such as NFT and Yuan Universe, combined with specific cases to analyze the new trend of international communication and public diplomacy in the web3.0 era, and try to outline the future vision of digital international communication and public diplomacy.

The historical context of the evolution of Internet and international communication

Both the "international communication" and "public diplomacy" were first proposed by the American politics and academic circles after the "Cold War", and gradually adopted the concept of practical practice by countries around the world. Compared with the concept of "international communication" proposed by "media institutions" as the centered on "media institutions", the "public diplomacy" advocated by the international relations community involves a wider range, focusing on the level of interpersonal communication and organizational communication. After the emergence of digital network technology in the 1990s and gradually became popular, the concept boundary between interpersonal, organization, and public communication gradually became blurred. The "Mass International Communication" dominated by the Internet became the "new normal" of human communication. As a result, the concepts and disciplines of international communication and public diplomacy have become increasingly faded. These two concepts also blend with each other in different situations. This article still tends to adopt the concept category of "international communication and public diplomacy".

Compared with international communication with the prosperity of the "multinational radio and electrical institutions" as its main channels since the prosperous of the 1950s, public diplomacy, which focuses on interpersonal and organizational levels, has become a "hot word" worldwide in 2001. After the terrorist attack on September 11, this period was the period when the Internet was booming. Although traditional public diplomacy and forms are still playing a strong role, at the same time, the use of digital technology for "new public diplomacy" is also significant. Specifically, new media forms such as the Internet and social platforms have gradually played the increasingly significant role in digital public diplomacy with the characteristics of openness, diversification, interaction, cross -border, and inclusiveness. From the "monologue/broadcast" model in the 20th century to the historic transformation of the 21st century "dialogue/network" model. [1]

After the British British Timberners-Lee invented the "Wanwei.com" in 1991, the "first generation" Internet or "read only" network became more prosperous. At this stage, the webpage was static and lacking interaction. Therefore, the Internet was only a tool for providing information from a few content producers to mass producers at that time. In the era of web1.0, various organizations such as the media, the public, and enterprises used the Internet as the platform to improve the convenience, timeliness and influence of international communication and public diplomacy, and expanded its scene from the physical space of the real world to virtual Cyber ​​space. However, due to the limited network interaction during this period, international communication still takes short -wave broadcasting and satellite TV as its main carrier, and related media institutions are auxiliary means to expand the scope of communication and improve their awareness through the form of opening a website. During this period, public diplomacy is still mainly based on the one -way release of government departments or enterprises. Netizens still play the role of passive acceptance of information, and the mechanism of instant feedback and interactive communication is relatively weak. In addition, due to the imperfect and uneven development of Internet infrastructure and digital technology, only a few developed countries in the West have the conditions to carry out network -oriented international communication and public diplomacy. After human society entered the new millennium, the curtain of the web2.0 era also opened slowly. The "read -only" network has been upgraded to "readable and writable" network, and users have obtained the freedom and convenience of free expression in network space and participating in collaborative content production. From the original blogs and forums such as publishing writing content and participating in discussion on the PC side, to the popularity of smartphones to drive the rise of social platforms, at this stage, the Internet as a whole tends to be more convenient for users to interact and share in real time. The "collective behavior" of group members has developed into a global "connection action", and the right to speak and influence of grass -roots grass -roots netizens has been further strengthened.

In this context, the institutionalized international communication and personalized and organized public diplomacy has gradually integrated, and gradually transitions to the "platform". One or even more communication opportunities for communication. As the source of Internet technology, the United States first applied it to the transformation and upgrading of international communication and public diplomacy. In 2009, Obama actively promoted the "New Media Public Foreign Diplomacy" after entering the White House. The U.S. State Department's website increased the frequency of upgrades and revisions. On the homepage, "Diplomacy Blog" and social media such as "diplomatic notes blog" and Facebook, YouTube, Flicker (photo social networking site) and other social media (photo social networking sites) Link to the platform account [2]. These contents displayed by different modes such as text, pictures, audio and videos have enhanced the knowledge and favorability of global people in the United States and diplomacy. Obama claimed to the world that it has entered the "White House 2.0 era" to the world.

Relative to the previous Web 1.0 era, public diplomacy in the web2.0 era has been significantly improved in the form of communication and interaction. Public diplomacy has shifted from the "one -way notification" model to the "two -way interactive" model, which has greatly improved The efficiency of the instantaneous and feedback interaction of international communication is also known as "digital public diplomacy" or "web2.0 diplomacy". Especially under the continuous improvement of network infrastructure and the technical guarantee of continuous improvement from 3G to 4G network speed, more and more countries have joined the ranks of using digital technology for international communication and public diplomacy transformation and upgrading. The social media platform and its "information dissemination+relationship construction" function has become a new cornerstone to support the healthy operation of digital public diplomacy.

Whether in the web1.0 or web2.0 stage, its common feature is to use large servers for centralized distribution of information, which means that the network is still centralized. The Silicon Valley giant monopolized and transformed it into a huge profit. Under the increasingly serious "echo room" or "information cocoon house", the Internet, which was originally aimed at strengthening communication, has evolved into a "splinternet" for tearing social consensus.

In order to reverse this trend, Web3.0, a goal aimed at "decentralization", became a new trend. This model is based on open protocols and transparent blockchain networks. It can realize the "readable and write -able" network. Relying on cutting -edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, semantic networks, virtual/enhanced reality, can not only be more efficient and more efficient and more efficient and more efficient. Transfer data more securely, conduct copyright transactions in accordance with regulations, and can also expand and accept more diversified communication scenarios. Compared with the previous two generations, the most fundamental progress of the third generation of the Internet is "ownership", that is, users can have the ownership of the underlying network by using cryptocurrencies, which also means The power to promote a new round of disruptive "Gudenburg Revolution" in the field of communication.

In 2021, the first year of the NFT start of the NFT initials of its infrastructure, the conceptuality, the preliminary breakthrough of the capital and the cutting -edge technology of the capital have made people have unlimited longing and romance in the web 3.0 era. Too reverie. Next, this article will start from many aspects such as conceptual interpretation, application scenarios, and future prospects. Analysis of NFT and Yuan universe as the core technology of the web3.0 era will have a breakthrough in international communication and public diplomacy. NFT and digital public diplomacy

NFT (NON-FUNGIBLETOKEN) refers to the non-homogenized token (also translated as "intangible" token "). Storage, encryption algorithms and consensus mechanisms. Unlike the traditional Bitcoin, NFT has the characteristics of "intangible homogeneity", that is, no two NFTs are the same, they both have unique and scarcity characteristics. NFT can also appear in multiple media states: text, images, audio, video, and even tickets. As long as it "on the chain", it can become an unchanged and only traceable NFT. Since the concept of NFT in 2021 has been popular globally, all walks of life are actively exploring its application in different fields. The fields of art collection and games are the "central stage" of NFT "shining". According to statistics, the total market value of NFT in 2021 has exceeded 40 billion US dollars, of which art collections and games account for more than 40%[3 3 [3 ]. The application of the news media industry has also begun to "test water" NFT applications. In terms of transforming news content into commercial value, using smart contracts to stimulate content creative vitality, and the authenticity of news content, NFT has been effectively implemented in the field of news communication. Scene. [4]

After more than a year of rapid development, the tentacles of NFT have reached all aspects of human society life, and practitioners with international communication and public diplomacy have also aimed at this emerging communication channel and applied it to industry practice. At present, the application scenarios of NFT are concentrated in commercial transactions. The main purpose is to capture profits, and even some NFTs are hyped to sky -high prices, making ordinary people daunting. However, the essence of international communication and public diplomacy is not to profit directly, but to build and build a national image, and promote the common sharing of human civilization. How to combine NFT's "intangible homogeneity" features with the above goals, the industry has made some exploration and attempts. At present, it has gained some experience in cultural diplomacy, educational exchanges, and brand building. [5]

First of all, the most significant application scenario in the field of international communication and public diplomacy is "cultural diplomacy". Although it is essentially the tokens on the blockchain, the NFT "self -containing" cultural product attributes can become a reliable carrier for ownership and copyright transactions. Therefore, it has been widely used in the field of art collection and auction. In the context of the new coronary pneumonia's epidemic caused by offline exchanges, the use of NFT to continue cultural diplomacy in virtual space is an alternative path. As the main ownership of art, museums can play an important role in this regard, and gradually realize the transformation from "physical museum diplomacy" to "digital museum diplomacy". [6]

In September 2021, the world's four major museums of Russia (Winter Palace) Museum in Russia took the lead in launching the NFT collection auction activities, and the British museum followed closely. The Liverpool Museum in the UK has created the "CryptoConnection" project to encourage users to match their own personal belongings with their collections of art, and then get the corresponding NFT, which can be collected and shared and traded through social platforms to share and transaction through social platforms Essence

In January 2022, the world's first NFT museum in Seattle, the United States was completed and opened [7], providing artists, creators and collectors with a platform to display NFT collections in the physical environment. It aims to introduce this new life to the public to introduce the public Things, with the physical display that can be seen, unveiled the virtual and mysterious veil for the general public. Unlike the traditional online museum accessed through the webpage or mobile client, this process has established a deeper connection between audiences and museums, and it is also convenient to stimulate users on social platforms. To strengthen communication among the public in various countries, especially to ensure that such communication activities surpassing the limitations of time and space can continue, reducing the impact of external crises such as epidemic conditions on international communication and public diplomacy.

Followed by the field of "education diplomacy". One of the cases of "NFT+Education" is the first NFT fashion education project launched by the American Fashion Designer Association (CFDA). This project provides NFT and "virtual fashion" training for young netizens from all over the world. Copyright and NFT series of fashion products with scarcity. This model has the effect of "empowerment" for students who have restricted funds and resources from the "Southern" countries of the world, which helps to promote the establishment of a more diversified global creative community and promote different civilizations. Inter -communication and mutual learning.

Due to the high -fidelity of the blockchain and NFT, it is difficult to imitate or tampered with, so it can play a unique role in teaching evaluation. During the epidemic, international online education has become a new normal, but the actual teaching effects obtained by students around the world in different environments are very different. Tampering and falsification of academic certificates have become headaches for education institutions. The intervention of blockchain and NFT has solved such problems. Each NFT is unique and cannot be tampered with on the blockchain. Education institutions can be evaluated and students are permanently held by students, which effectively improves the ease of accessibility and fairness of online education and transnational education exchanges. In January 2022, Duke University in the United States awarded the NFT certificate to students from various countries to complete the basic curriculum of the engineering series, becoming the world's first higher education institution to provide NFT vouchers education. It can be expected that in the future, more universities and educational institutions will adopt this model to continue to explore the new path of "education diplomacy" in the Web 3.0 era.

Compared with government departments and social organizations, multinational enterprises have accumulated some experience in using NFT for public welfare communication. The Coca -Cola Company released a series of NFT collectibles on the "World Friendship Day" on the 2021, and used the income to support public welfare projects such as the "World Special Olympic Games" hosted by people with intellectual disabilities. [8] Similarly, in activities that government and social organizations can carry out international communication and public diplomacy, they can release NFT collections in the target country audience to promote the friendship, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, and promote the personal participation and active active participation of ordinary people. Share and further use the income to carry out international public welfare projects and enhance the national brand reputation.

It is true that NFT is still in the initial stage. The relevant exploration and practice are mostly dominated by commercial institutions. There are certain risks for international communication and public diplomacy that reflects national interests and public welfare attributes. Therefore, government departments and public institutions are more cautious in the use of NFT. In this regard, San Marino in South Europe took a bold step. In July 2021, the country announced the approval of the use of NFT as a digital new crown vaccine passport. The platform developed by the blockchain company "Vechain" provided two different QR codes for comparison to verify whether the user could not be tampered with. The proof of the secure vaccine vaccination status has greatly improved the anti -counterfeiting effect. The St. Malino government announced the first to build a global blockchain technology industry center. This bold attempt is not only a measure at the public diplomatic level, but also aims to use cutting -edge media technology to create a new national image and brand. [9]

Because NFT has both the attributes and media forms of the intermediary, and at the same time, it has the color of the blockchain that cannot be tampered with and traceable, and has a high preservation and credibility. And to strengthen national identity. In December 2021, the UAE Post Department sold the physical stamps and NFT stamps on the occasion of the National Day to become the first country in the region to release NFT stamps. [10] In March 2022, Ukraine announced that it will release NFT digital artworks to record the history of Russia and Ukraine, and use relevant income for military expenditure. [11]

In general, whether it is cultural diplomacy, educational diplomacy, or image brand shaping, the use of public diplomacy is still in the experimental stage of NFT. The effect of improving international communication with it as an intermediary, but some of these practices have implied the business goals of creating "gimmicks", attracting attention and earning traffic. This needs to be gradually corrected in future practice. Looking forward to the more mature and standardized development of NFT in the future, there will be more public diplomat practitioners to advance with the times, and the essential characteristics of its decentralization can make NFT shine on the public diplomacy stage.

The rise of "Yuan Soft Power" and "Yuan Diplomacy"

Metaverse is a new concept of combination of "Meta" and "Universe" in English. It is a virtual space that parallels in the real world and is independent of the real world; it is not only a mapping the real world. The online virtual world is also closer to the real digital virtual world. [12] The current Yuan universe is still in the stage of conception and test. The goal is to integrate a variety of new technologies, build the next -generation network application and digital social ecology, and obtain substantial breakthroughs in time and space expansion, human -machine merger, and technology value -added. [13]

The continuous improvement of the concept of the "Yuan Universe" is closely related to the endless rising new crown pneumonia's epidemic since the beginning of 2020. The waves of epidemics and its sealing and control caused people to be forced to transfer the scenes of work and life to the line. Objectively, it also promoted the popularization of digital technology and the improvement of network infrastructure. Determination of digital survival ". The iconic incident of the concept of the Yuan universe was renamed Meta, a global social media giant Facebook in October 2021. This renamed the "Yuan Cosmic" boom in the world.

Regardless of how many commercial hype, or the "Golden Cicada Remove" measured by Facebook after the reputation crisis, Facebook, from the perspective of the concept, the "Yuan Universe" can become a hot topic for global attention, mainly because it is not like it is not like Web2.0 or the "virtual space" of the real world like the first -generation online game, but strives to create another new world that exists based on the "pure virtual space". This "spiritual realm" surpasses imitation and replication, and through unlimited imagination to achieve unlimited possibilities. For international order and international relations, the subversion significance of the Yuan universe cannot be underestimated. It breaks the restrictions on the space and resources owned by the original nation -state, and also breaks through the constraints of time. Small and medium -sized countries in the real world may "rise" in a short period of time as a strong country in the Yuan universe, and the great power and power in reality may also lose attraction in the Yuan universe and be marginalized. [14] Judging from the proportion of NFT owners in various countries, the top five are the Philippines (32%), Thailand (27%), Malaysia (24%), the UAE (23%) and Vietnam (17%) (17%) ) Waiting for small and medium -sized countries, far exceeding the United States (3%), the United Kingdom (3%), Germany (4%) and other western "big countries".

The rise and gradually landing of the concept of the Yuan universe have also led to the new concept of "Meta-SoftPower", breaking the restrictions of traditional geopolitical patterns and national boundaries, and opening up new dimensions to enhance soft power and build national brands. The original methods and means of improving the soft power of the national cultural culture are all subverted, reorganized and reconstructed in the Yuan universe world, especially for the secondary Yuanya cultural circle such as animation, games, and web (AGCN) as the representative And the emerging fields of cultural and creative industries such as "Robotainment" and "Avatar" have given unlimited imagination and creativity. Although the specific indicators of the academic and industry on "Yuansoft's Power" have not reached a consensus, it can be expected that this concept will be the entry point of changing the global "net fate politics" pattern and small and medium -sized countries to realize the "curve overtaking" Essence

The current application of Yuan Universe in international communication and public diplomacy is still in its infancy. The current common application scenarios are the "museum diplomacy" mentioned earlier. In the impact of the epidemic, cultural institutions such as museums and art museums cannot openly visit. Through the immersive meta -universe channel, the audience can be in the museum as if in the museum to realize the dream of sitting at home and watching the exhibition. The museum is a miniature "small world". Looking back at history in the form of micro -knowledge, looking forward to the future, and achieving the goal of "storytelling stories, exhibitions, gathered people". Looking forward to the future, various countries and even the entire virtual world can become the communication and application scenarios for global audiences, opening up a broad space for digital public diplomacy.

As an important force in the field of international communication and public diplomacy in recent years, South Korea has not greeted in the trend of leading the Yuan universe. In November 2021, the Seoul Municipal Government released the "Five -Year Action Plan", claiming that it will become the first international metropolis to settle in the Yuan universe. Thousands of projects have been designed, and huge sums of money in stages to create the "Yuan Universe Seoul".

Some "top flow" companies also use the Yuan Cosmos' air outlet to further consolidate the leading position of "Korean Wave" in the global cultural and creative industry. The game company (NEXON) uses its unique IP "Maplestory" to develop the Yuan cosmic version. The entertainment giant (Netmarble) has opened a subsidiary of the development of the Yuan universe service project to actively build the K-POP idol and its works in the virtual world, extending the "Korean stream" effect to the Yuan Cosmic Space.

Korean government departments also continued the successful experience of establishing "national brand committees" and other institutions to create "Korean flow" to actively promote and strongly support the technological innovation and government -enterprise cooperation of the Yuan universe. The Universe Alliance ", combined with more than 180 companies and media institutions to jointly create open data and service sharing platform" Metabus ", which attracted 170,000 various types of enterprises and 70,000 intern to participate, to alleviate the epidemic shock belt The youth employment crisis made contributions. As an important part of the "Digital New Deal 2.0", the South Korean government also plans to invest huge sums of money to promote the "Yuan Bus" and other platforms to overseas to build and consolidate its "Yuan soft strength".

The "Yuan Universe" is really used for public diplomacy related affairs is the Caribbean island country Barbados. As one of the countries that are the most "friendly" for cryptocurrencies and digital virtual technology, in November 2021, the country's diplomacy and foreign trade department signed an agreement with the blockchain platform "Decentraland" and opened the first one Embassy in the Universe. Barbados became the first country in the world to test the water "Diplomacy of the Cosmic Universe". [15] The country also plans to sign contract with multiple companies and platforms to continue to build virtual embassies and consulates in the Yuan Universe space, improve basic service facilities, provide "blockchain visas" and other services, and create different "virtual virtual virtuals" in different "virtual virtuals" "Digital conveyors", etc. in the world "shuttle", and so on. Some scholars have proposed that the era of "Metadiplomacy" will also be opened. The Yuan universe is expected to become an important position for officials and public diplomacy in various countries in the near future. With the digital "network margin politics" gradually becoming an important force to replace traditional geopolitical wrestling, the Yuan Universe will also become a "negotiating venue" for mediation of various types of "network margin political conflicts". Among the current academic ideas, "Yuan Diploma" has the following three application scenarios: "Can't go abroad", conduct diplomatic talks in immersive Yuan universe; Prevent regional or global crisis upgrades. Because the Yuan universe has the characteristics of breaking through the boundaries of the national country, governments are still cautious about it. On the one hand, how to define network sovereignty and digital sovereignty in the Yuan universe space to prevent the integrity of national sovereignty in the real and political level of "Yuan diplomacy". On the other hand, issues such as false information on social media platforms on the web2.0 stage, the prevalence of network hatred, and group polarization have not been fundamentally resolved. In the web environment that is more free and open in the Web3.0 stage brought in the Yuan universe, whether these problems will intensify, it is the issue that we should think about before entering the Yuan universe.

At present, the Yuan universe is in a "barbaric growth" state. In the short term, it will be the "diverse universe" owned by multiple different participants. It is urgent to integrate a global Yuan universe. Develop effective governance rules. Because the immersive experience needs to collect the massive data of users in biological signs, personal privacy protection is also a problem that cannot be ignored. In the long run, the Yuan universe can reduce the digital gap between the south and the north of the world, but the premise is that the international multilateral institutions that exceed the interest of a single national interest must formulate governance rules. Therefore, international organizations such as the United Nations should first propose the vision of the Yuan universe in science and technology companies, thereby standardizing and promoting the healthy operation of various mechanisms including "meta -diplomacy". [16]

Looking forward to the future, the general trend of the global Internet is the transition from web2.0 to Web 3.0, and countries are also seizing the dominance of this track. In March 2022, Yao Qian, director of the Science and Technology Supervision Bureau of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, published an article entitled "Web3.0 is a new generation of Internet Internet", pointing out that the WEB1.0 and Web2.0 periods were issued by the US Clinton government. " The State Information Infrastructure Strategic Plan maintains the leadership of the United States in network space. At present, we want to strengthen Web3.0 forward -looking research and strategic prediction, which is undoubtedly significant to the construction of my country's future Internet infrastructure. [17] It should be seen that the United States has never slacken in terms of competing for Web3.0's right to speak and rules. At the end of 2021, the US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee conducted a hearing entitled "The Future of Cryptive Assets and Finance". Former Monetary Auditors Director Brianbrooks introduced the trend and prospects of Web3.0 to parliament members of Congress. In order to obtain relevant policy support, some people shouted on the spot that "must ensure that the web3.0 revolution occurs in the United States". Needless to say, the broad development prospects of Web 3.0 make it a strategic highland for the next generation of "net fate politics" competition. In the context of the current centennial change and century epidemic, globalization tends to "crack", and the "decentralized" next -generation Internet may exacerbate its evolution to the "split network". As an important force for global risk governance, how to rush out of the siege in the strategic opportunities and risk challenges of the web3.0, to avoid the risks encountered by other countries in practice while absorbing advanced experience around the world, promoting international communication and public diplomacy The transformation and upgrading is an important issue worthy of in -depth discussions in the academic and industry.

Reference format for this article:

Shi Anbin, Yang Chenxuan's international communication and public diplomacy: trend and vision [J]. Young reporter, 2022 (15): 93-97.

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