International communications about the regional culture of Shandong within the framework of the "One Belt – One Road" project

the article presents a comprehensive study of international communication strategies for promoting the regional culture of Shandong Province (PRC) within the framework of the "One Belt – One Road" initiative. The purpose of the work is to identify effective mechanisms for conveying the cultural values of Shandong, as a historical center of Chinese civilization, into the global informational space. The research methodology is based on a multi-method approach, including monitoring information flows (an analysis of 18,723 media messages for 2021–2022), content analysis of thematic clusters, statistical processing of data on the effectiveness of cultural projects, as well as sociological surveys (n=3624) in 18 countries participating in the initiative. The results revealed a dominance of English-language content (42.3%) and a thematic bias in favor of the Confucian heritage (24%), with insufficient representation of contemporary culture (10.9%). A positive correlation was established between personal experience of visiting the region and a positive perception of its culture (?=0.412). Informal communication strategies based on user-generated content demonstrated the greatest effectiveness (index 8.1/10), despite representing a small share (6.5%) of the overall flow. Significant discrepancies were found between the topics of media messages and audience demands: interest in contemporary culture (27.3%) is three times higher than its presence in the content. Based on the results, an integrative model for optimizing communications was proposed, including: diversification of language strategies (with an emphasis on Spanish-speaking and Arabic segments with high audience engagement), rebalancing of thematic content in favor of contemporary cultural practices, development of grassroots initiatives through digital platforms, and synergy between institutional and informal communication channels. The study confirms the key role of cultural diplomacy as an instrument of "soft power" in achieving geostrategic goals, demonstrating the potential of regional cultural narratives to strengthen China's international image.

cultural diplomacy, regional culture of Shandong, "One Belt – One Road", international communications, transcultural dialogue, media discourse, cultural identity