Digital Public Opinion in China: Weibo Discourses from COVID-19 and Beyond

This chapter examines the dynamics of digital public opinion in China through an analysis of Weibo discourses during the 2022 Shanghai lockdown. It investigates how social media reflected and shaped public sentiment under authoritarian conditions, revealing tensions between governance narratives and citizens’ lived experiences. Drawing on 68,698 Weibo posts, the study applies topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and Granger causality tests to trace the evolution of four dominant themes—Life, Supplies, Pandemic, and Governance. The findings highlight governance as the most prominent yet negatively perceived theme, while discussions of the pandemic often carried positive tones, reflecting solidarity and mutual aid among citizens. The analysis further uncovers a disconnect between governance discourse and public concerns about everyday life and material needs, illustrating a divergence between state communication and digital publics. By showing how Weibo served simultaneously as a site of control, dissent, and emotional exchange, this chapter underscores the dual role of social media in contemporary China—as both an instrument of authoritarian governance and a contested space where collective grievances and resilience are articulated.