可信是“可信、可爱、可敬的中国形象”的前提和基础，本文以美国主流媒体在东盟有关“一带一路”的报道为例，探究美国主流媒体报道的情感倾向对中国可信政治形象的影响。研究发现，美国主流媒体报道越正面，东盟国家对中国的可信政治形象认知越正面，反之亦然。通过加入与美政治信任和与美同盟关系两个调节变量发现，与美关系越紧密的东盟国家越不容易受媒体影响，与美关系较疏离的东盟国家越容易受媒体影响。这一研究结果表明，国家间信任具有稳定性，一旦信任关系建立，则不易受媒体因素影响，而对于未建立信任关系的国家，媒体能产生有效的影响。结合“楔子战略”理论，本文就在国际传播中如何实现联盟预阻和联盟分化提出相应建议，以期促进东盟对华可信政治形象认知。

Credibility serves as the fundamental cornerstone for crafting a “credible, endearing, and respectable” image of China. This paper examines the role of emotional bias in U.S. mainstream media coverage of the “Belt and Road” initiative within ASEAN countries and its impact on the perception of China’s credible political image. The findings reveal a correlation: the more positive the emotional tone in U.S. mainstream media reports, the more favorable the perception of China's political image among ASEAN nations, and this relationship holds true in reverse as well. By incorporating the moderating effects of political trust in and alliance with the United States, the research indicates that ASEAN countries with stronger ties to the U.S. are less susceptible to media influence, whereas those with weaker ties are more likely to be swayed by media narratives. This suggests that once a stable trust relationship is established between nations, it remains robust against media influences. Conversely, for nations lacking such trust, media can exert a significant influence. Drawing on the theory of “wedge strategy,” this paper proposes strategies for preemptive alliance blocking and alliance differentiation in international communication. These strategies aim to enhance ASEAN’s recognition and acceptance of China’s credible political image.