Policy-wise, accurately understanding one's global reputation and influence is essential, even when foreign opinions may contain bias. This clarity is essential both for meaningful image improvement and for avoiding overconfidence that can impede a nation's "peaceful rise."

Being informed of China's global image also increases citizens' awareness of what issues foreign publics consider regarding China and of the salience of China's negative aspects.

The information treatments have particularly large effects on factual perceptions of China's global reputation, extending even to new questions not directly addressed in the original corrections. These effects appear broad and genuine rather than mechanical.

Critically, informing Chinese citizens of actual international public opinion about China changes their evaluations of the country, its governing system, and their expectations for its global role. These effects from simple corrections are durable for at least 2-4 weeks.

Using two studies in China during the COVID-19 pandemic and a post-pandemic study of Chinese students in the U.S., I find that the Chinese public overwhelmingly and systematically overestimates China's global reputation and soft power compared to international polls, even during a national crisis.

Using two studies conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic and an additional post-pandemic study, I show that the Chinese public widely and significantly overestimates China's global reputation and soft power (as compared to actual global polls), even during a national crisis.