1、 Introduction

Explored the importance and challenges of youth public diplomacy in international cooperation between China and Africa, and pointed out that China's influence in Africa is constantly increasing, but research and practical experience in the field of youth public diplomacy are relatively insufficient. The negative comments from the West regarding China's cooperation in Africa have added obstacles to youth public diplomacy between China and Africa. Emotional geopolitics has been introduced into analysis, emphasizing the irrational role of emotions in political activities, especially their impact on people and public opinion in public diplomacy. Domestic scholars have begun to study public diplomacy from an emotional perspective, but there is still little research on the emotional factors of youth public diplomacy in Central Africa. Existing research has focused more on China's youth diplomacy model and volunteer activities for non youth, while lacking in-depth exploration of the mechanisms of African specificity and emotional factors in public diplomacy. This article aims to use the theory of emotional geopolitics to analyze the particularity of emotional effects in youth public diplomacy in Central Africa, explore possible ways to improve the process of public diplomacy, and provide a new perspective for research in this field.

2、 Definition of Youth Public Diplomacy and Central African Youth Public Diplomacy

In depth exploration of the concept of youth public diplomacy, clarification of the definitions of "youth" and "public diplomacy", and analysis of the characteristics and development process of youth public diplomacy in Central Africa. Youth public diplomacy emphasizes that young people are the subject or object of diplomatic activities, and through government guidance or funding, engage in activities aimed at the public of other countries, with the aim of enhancing the country's image and public opinion influence. There are various forms of youth public diplomacy between China and Africa, including Chinese youth assistance to Africa, African youth training in China, and cultural exchanges between Chinese and African youth. With the deepening of China Africa cooperation, youth public diplomacy activities continue to increase, becoming an important way to promote China Africa friendship and cultivate young leaders.

3、 The particularity of the African context from the perspective of emotional geopolitics

The theory of emotional geopolitics emphasizes the influence of citizen emotions on political activities, believing that emotions arise from "encounters" in daily life and are transmitted in the "emotional atmosphere" of space, forming cultural significance. Africa is situated between hope and disappointment on the emotional map, with the West's emotions towards Africa containing fear and greed, while Africa forms disappointment and frustration. With the stable political situation in Africa and the increasing sense of hope, African countries are seeking to establish trade links, and leaders are working hard to find an independent development path. The public diplomacy of young people in Central Africa is influenced by emotional geopolitics, including Africa's resistance to foreign cultural input, the expectation of equal participation and discourse rights, the hopeful emotions and identity confidence brought by socio-economic development, as well as the mixed emotions of hope and fear of Chinese youth towards Africa.

4、 Emotional advantages of China's youth public diplomacy towards Africa based on the African context

In the context of great power competition, China has significant advantages in conducting youth public diplomacy in Africa. Firstly, China Africa cooperation meets the development needs of Africa, helps to enhance Africa's position in the global industrial chain, achieve green development transformation, and promote global governance towards a more favorable direction for developing countries. Secondly, China and Africa are both developing countries with similar development histories and paths. China's development experience has reference significance for Africa, and through youth public diplomacy, we can strengthen exchanges and enhance mutual understanding. Finally, China's concept of a harmonious world and the correct view of righteousness and benefit are attractive to African countries, emphasizing fairness, justice, and mutual benefit, which helps to establish trust between China and Africa and reduce foreign policy costs.

5、 The Problems Faced by Central African Youth Public Diplomacy from the Perspective of Emotional Geopolitics

Emotional geopolitics emphasizes the emotional influence of individual and group identities in political activities. The problems faced by youth public diplomacy in China and Africa include the rise of anti China sentiment in Africa, the lack of effective emotional interaction in youth public diplomacy, and the marginalization of African public diplomacy subjects. The anti China sentiment in Africa is influenced by personnel exchanges and economic and trade frictions between China and Africa, competition from Western countries, and smear comments, such as the illegal gold mining incident in Ghana that damaged China's image. The scope of public diplomacy activities for young people in Central Africa is limited, and there is a lack of interaction with the public, resulting in communication barriers due to language barriers. The lack of autonomy among African public diplomacy entities and insufficient information communication have led to low efficiency and misunderstandings, affecting the goodwill understanding and effectiveness of activities between China and Africa.

6、 Strategic improvement of current youth public diplomacy in Central Africa

From the perspective of emotional geopolitics, the strategic improvement suggestions for youth public diplomacy in China and Africa include: emphasizing the advantages of Chinese characteristics and spreading a culture of hope in goal setting, while cultivating cultural affinity and emotional commonality in technical talent cooperation; In terms of organizational approach, it is recommended to increase the participation of African "bottom-up" and build a long-term and sustainable network of contacts to promote emotional interaction between Central African participants; In terms of public opinion promotion, efforts should be made to strengthen publicity and initiative, while avoiding the promotion of culture and values. The focus should be on showcasing successful cases of China Africa cooperation and China's concept of equal diplomacy. These strategies aim to cater to positive emotions, reduce negative emotions, promote emotional interaction between young people in Central Africa, and enhance the effectiveness of public diplomacy.

7、 Summary

The public diplomacy activities of Chinese and African youth are an important part of China Africa diplomatic cooperation, playing a crucial role in enhancing China's image, promoting youth exchanges, and creating a favorable public opinion environment. The theory of emotional geopolitics helps to analyze the specificity of emotional effects and mechanisms in youth public diplomacy in Central Africa. The article proposes suggestions such as highlighting the advantages of Chinese characteristics, promoting "bottom-up" participation in Africa, building networks and local networks, and strengthening public opinion propaganda to improve the process of youth public diplomacy in China and Africa. With the intensification of globalization and international competition, China has made public diplomacy an important component of its foreign strategy, and there is significant room for development in terms of activity scale and resources for non youth public diplomacy.