TITLE:
Dilemmas and Breakthroughs in China’s International Communication in the “America First” 2.0 Era—Based on Prisoner’s Dilemma Model
AUTHORS:
Jin Yin
KEYWORDS:
International Communication, Prisoner’s Dilemma, America First
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.7,
July
15,
2025
ABSTRACT: This paper takes the “America First” 2.0 era as its research context, adopts the analytical framework of the Prisoner’s Dilemma, combines case studies with theoretical deduction, reveals the logic of cooperation and confrontation in the international communication game between China and the United States, explores the strategic dilemmas and breakthrough pathways faced by China’s international communication, and proposes international communication strategies meeting the needs of global governance. The innovation of this study lies in introducing game theory into international communication research, providing theoretical support for the Chinese narrative, and offering practical reference value for promoting a new international communication order. The research shows that China is faced with threefold dilemmas: the contradiction between cooperation willingness and competition pressure, the differences in discourse systems and cultural identities, and the trust crisis in multilateral cooperation. It is found that the Prisoner’s Dilemma model can effectively explain the deep-seated contradictions in the current Sino-US international communication game, and breaking through these dilemmas requires constructing a dialogue framework for Sino-US international communication, building communication platforms for telling Chinese stories well, and actively carrying out multilateral international development cooperation.