A República Popular da China, a COVID-19 e o sharp power

: a importância da perceção na política internacional na era digital

Abstract

The concept “sharp power” was coined in 2017 to describe a power that did not fit into the classic types of “hard” or “soft”. It was based on manipulation, deception and subversion, practices that are ancient in themselves. Two years later came COVID-19, a virus originally identified in the People's Republic of China (PRC), which within months evolved into a pandemic. Faced with the possible damage to its reputation, the PRC focused all its efforts on containing the story through perception management. The state's perseverance and its struggle for hegemony came to depend on the victory of the story that "China was winning the war against COVID-19." It is upon this framework that the research develops, in a search for the conceptual autonomy of sharp power, justifying it, and autonomizing it from soft power. Through the study of the Chinese narrative of COVID-19, the possible impact of this form of power is analysed, and the best possible answers presented. In the Digital Era, where communication is immediate and universal, narrative control is key. It is urgent to understand its implications for the international system.

Date of Award	10 Nov 2022
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Francisco Proença Garcia (Supervisor)