This study investigated the network agenda setting (NAS) effects as the third-level agenda setting with data collected from both newspaper reports and public survey regarding the THAAD event in Mainland China. Networks of attributes in the news reports were compared with the counterparts generated from public opinion. A total 680 news articles and 538 responses to a public survey were collected for analysis. The NAS model was supported with the positive and signifcant correlation between the media and public network agendas. This study found that the NAS model offered significant predictive power at both explicit and implicit levels. Findings of this study extend the recent development of agenda setting theory, i.e., the third-level agenda setting or network agenda setting research in a non-Western context.