Diyana N. Kasimon

Bio: Diyana N. Kasimon is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: China & Social media. The author has co-authored 1 publications.

Literature Review: The Views of Chinese and International Scholars on the Causes of the US-China Trade War

Abstract: This study collected articles (2018-2021) on the US-China trade war, including 71 in the WOS database and 57 in the CNKI database (originating from China), and analyzed the viewpoints of international and Chinese scholars on the causes of the US-China trade war. The results show that both international and Chinese scholars have basically the same views when analyzing and considering the problems. They both believe that the trade deficit between the US and China is the direct cause of the trade war, while US trade protectionism and the “America First” mentality are the main reasons. They also agree that competition for global economic leadership between the two countries is the main root of the trade war. However, the difference between them is that international scholars generally have broader academic horizons, more objective and fair expressions, and more critical traditions. They tend to take a neutral position in analyzing the causes of the trade war. They point out not only the causes and consequences of the trade war, but also possible misjudgments by the United States. Chinese scholars, on the other hand, have relatively narrower academic horizons, their views are often nationalistic, and their narratives are more intense and emotional.

Research Trends in Different Social Media Platform and Body Image

Abstract: This review will critically analyse the impact of short social media videos on body image. This review focuses specifically on the perception of social media and body image and the impact of different social media platforms on users' body image. It was found that there are positive (Trekels et al., 2018; Gilmour et al., 2020) and negative (Cohen & Blaszczynski, 2015; Yurdagül et al., 2021) effects on body image when people use social media. And, social comparison is one of the essential factors influencing the impact of social media on body image (Rahmadiansyah, 2022). Furthermore, the impact of social media on body image is stronger than that of traditional media. Furthermore, among social media, those based on sharing videos have a greater impact on body image than those based on images and texts (Engeln et al., 2020). However, there are still many limitations to the impact of social media on body image, and further research is needed to determine the specific impact of social media on body image, taking into account the characteristics, content, functions and tools of different social media platforms, as well as user thinking and cultural contextual factors.

The Appreciation and Criticism of the Young Chinese Zhihu Netizens to ex-President Trump of the United States

Abstract: Since former U.S. President Trump took office, Chinese state media have generally painted a negative picture of him and formed a negative public opinion. However, in Chinese social media, Trump still enjoys a high reputation and has even gained a large number of supporters, including, of course, a large number of opponents. This article explored the popular evaluation of President Trump by young Zhihu netizens through a qualitative content analysis of a post on the Zhihu website, and analyzed the reasons for the formation of the opposing evaluations by netizens. The result showed that 43% of netizens positively evaluated Trump as the great president who saved the United States, while 40% condemned Trump as "The second Hoover." From a neutral point of view, Trump is seen as a president with first-class dreams but second-class political wisdom. Further analysis revealed that for netizens with positive comments, individualism, pragmatism, dissatisfaction with the social status quo, and the influence of the mode of public opinion confrontation are the main reasons why they praise Trump. Netizens who hold a negative evaluations are strongly influenced by China's traditional political culture and official public opinion, as well as the trend of the "rise of the East and decline of the West," which led them to follow the Chinese "Meritocracy Political Model" in evaluating Trump. This study revealed the current situation of ideological and value opposition among highly educated young in China.

Engaging divided society in the nation-building process : the case of government communication in Malaysia

Abstract: This thesis explores how government engages with a divided society in the context of nation-building. The widely used yet loosely understood concept of ‘engagement’ in the context of government communication is the focus of this thesis. By using Malaysia as the case study, this research investigates how citizens are communicatively constructed in the context of Malaysia’s post-independence nation-building process. This study is significant because research on citizen engagement in Malaysia’s nation-building is limited and studies focusing on the concept of engagement in deeply divided societies are also scarce.Thematic analysis on all eleven national action plan (NAP) documents known as Malaysia Plan (1965-2016) was conducted to enable the pattern of similarities and differences in nation-building and government communication strategies to be identified over time. Semi-structured elite interviews with the elite actors in Malaysia’s federal government were conducted to understand the government’s articulation and operationalisation of engagement in the context of nation-building process.The key findings from the NAPs reveal that the nation-building in Malaysia takes in a form of national identity project. Adopting an elite instrumentalist approach, national unity becomes the focal communicative strategy in the construction of the national identity. The elite interviews on the other hand demonstrate that government actors tend to describe engagement using the notion of dialogic communication. While acknowledging the advancement in communication technologies, government actors emphasise that the face-to-face engagement initiatives with the citizens are of central importance in the nation-building process.This thesis contributes to the studies of government strategic communication in the context of a deeply divided society that has been characterised as "plural society" that is in a state of “stable tension” (Shamsul, 2009). It helps to develop a richer understanding and knowledge of Malaysia’s nation-building process and approach as a modern postcolonial nation.

The Impact of the Density of Individual Social Networks on WeChat Usage in Intimate Relationships among Chinese Youngsters

Abstract: WeChat has become the most popular type of social media among youngsters in China. They use it for various reasons including communicating in intimate relationships. This study aims to investigate the impact of the density of individuals’ social networks on WeChat Usage in Intimate Relationships among Chinese youngsters, guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). An online questionnaire was constructed and disseminated to respondents online. In total, 923 undergraduate students from Chinese universities completed the questionnaires. Utilizing Structural Equation Modelling, findings show that the density of individuals’ social networks has a limited impact on WeChat usage. On the other hand, TPB factors such as subjective norms and perceived control bring a substantial impact on WeChat usage, while attitude has a less significant impact. These results indicate that Chinese youngsters exhibit strong attributes of the collective culture. This study also suggests that future social media research should place more emphasis on cultural and social factors.

The Effects of After-Hours Information on Stock Prices and Trading Volume

Abstract: This study examines how after-market information over the weekend affects stock prices and trading volume for the next Monday in the Taiwan market. Because of the nature of causality and simultaneity that exists when the time period of data between independent and dependent variables overlaps, the control-time-lag method is proposed to address this issue. In contrast to the literature, the empirical results reveal investors’ information searching (attention) increases stock trading volume but is not effective for prices, indicating there may be noise traders in the market. To predict the price, it should return to the essence of the information, which is good or bad for the market. Moreover, this study finds that information-related factors are more important than companies’ fundamentals in affecting the Taiwan stock market.