How did the Chinese Public Discuss the 2023 Türkiye-Syria Earthquake and the Humanitarian Response on Social Media? A Topical and Sentimental Analysis

Abstract

International disaster response and humanitarian actors are important for mega-disaster relief, especially for disasters occurring in developing countries. China has been very active in international disaster response in the last decade, and both governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations have been involved. This study investigated the narratives of the Chinese public on social media regarding the 2023 Türkiye-Syria Earthquake. Social media data from Weibo between 6 February and 5 March 2023 were collected, and topic modeling and emotion analysis were performed. The results show that the term “Türkiye Earthquake” was primarily used, followed by “Türkiye and Syria Earthquake,” while the term “Syria Earthquake” was used least. The general public tended to use the “Türkiye Earthquake,” while news media and institutions mainly used the “Türkiye-Syria” expression. The posts primarily discussed Chinese disaster and humanitarian response activities (including impacts, rescue efforts, and survivor stories), and the primary emotion expressed was positive. In posts about Syria, sanctions from the United States emerged as an independent topic, and negative emotions were associated with it. This study contributes to disaster studies regarding the public’s attitudes toward international disasters and humanitarian efforts using social media data on real cases.

Keywords

Emotion analysis / Humanitarian response / Public sentiment / Topic analysis / Türkiye-Syria Earthquake

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