Political Leaders and Public Diplomacy in the Contested Indo-Pacific

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 182-197
Author(s):  
Caitlin Byrne

Summary Public diplomacy practice is intensifying across the Indo-Pacific as global actors compete to keep pace with the emerging geopolitical realities of a contested world order. China’s rise is the dominant feature. It comes as the United States retreats from global leadership, further heightening the sense of uncertainty in the region. Amid this strategic re-ordering, competition to influence narratives, set political agendas and frame the rules of a changing order is intense. The stakes for public diplomacy could not be higher and the implications for political leaders are significant. This article examines the role of Indo-Pacific political leaders through the lens of public diplomacy. While there are significant differences in approach, findings suggest that the imperative for political leaders to inform, engage and influence public audiences increasingly lies in the desire to shape the narrative and thus the nature of a regional order that will be favourable for their national interests.

Author(s):  
Leonid L. Fituni

The article exposes the regional context of geostrategic rivalry between the United States and China in Northeast Africa (NEA) against the backdrop of the emerging formation of a new bipolar world order and the messianic ambitions of the superpowers. The author predicts a significant increase in NEA’s geo-economic and strategic importance, due to the dominant vectors of global development and aspects of national interests of each of their superpowers. The article offers a detailed analysis of the evolution of NEA’s confessional space through the last 50 years and of the role of religious factors in the superpower rivalry in the region. The author arrives to the conclusion that the ruling, business and religious elites of the region have taken a wait-and-see attitude in the battle unfolding between the superpowers and do not want to unambiguously associate themselves with either side.


Author(s):  
Duncan Bell

This chapter focuses on John Robert Seeley (1834–95), the most prominent imperial thinker in late nineteenth-century Britain. It dissects Seeley's understanding of theology and religion, probes his views on the sacred character of nationality, and shows how he attempted to reconcile particularism and universalism in a so-called “cosmopolitan nationalist” vision. It argues that Seeley's most famous book, The Expansion of England (1883) should be understood as an expression of his basic political-theological commitments. The chapter also makes the case that he conceived of Greater Britain as a global federal nation-state, modeled on the United States. It concludes by discussing the role of India and Ireland in his polychronic, stratified conception of world order.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mai’a K. Davis Cross ◽  
Teresa La Porte

A resilient actor is one with the capacity to recover from setbacks and obstacles, whether stemming from endogenous or exogenous factors. Beyond actual recovery, this article argues that there is also an important perceptional dimension. Image resilience is the capacity on the part of actors to overcome and deal with the widespread negative perceptions that often follow on the heels of these setbacks. The article argues that the ability to cultivate image resilience rests significantly on the power of public diplomacy. Through establishing a strong image for an actor over the longer term, public diplomacy enables that actor to be more resilient during times of crisis. The European Union is a particularly good case study to shed light on this. Using original interview evidence, this article examines a specific example of how the European Union was ultimately able to strengthen its image resilience in the United States through public diplomacy.


Author(s):  
T.B. Golam ◽  

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of Russia in the economic, political and social aspects of the СOVID-19 pandemic. The author considers publications of world leading research centers and think tanks as well as foreign policy decisions of leading world powers, considers relations between Russia and the United States as one of the most influential actors in the international struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Particular attention is paid to comparing different approaches to the international struggle against various epidemics and pandemics at the present stage. In conclusion the author makes a forecast on the possibility of the formation of a new world order in the post-pandemic period.


Author(s):  
Stephen Bowman

This book examines the role of the elite Pilgrims Society in Anglo-American relations during the first half of the twentieth century. The Pilgrims Society was a dining club founded in London and New York in 1902 and 1903 which sought to improve relations between Britain and the United States. The Society provided an elite network that brought together influential politicians, diplomats, journalists, and businessmen during key moments in Anglo-American diplomacy. This book argues that the Pilgrims acted in cooperation with officialdom in both countries to promote its essentially elitist conception of Anglo-American friendship. The book presents a series of case studies that focus on the proceedings and wider diplomatic significance of lavish banquets held across the period at iconic London and New York hotels. In so doing, the book is the first-ever scholarly examination of the Pilgrims Society and establishes the role of unofficial public diplomacy activities and associational culture in official Anglo-American relations in an earlier period than has been recognised in the existing historiography. The book concludes that the Pilgrims Society is best regarded as a semi-official actor in international relations which – through its engagement with the press and by means of facilitating contact between policy-making elites – provided a milieu that supported ideas of Anglo-American friendship and legitimised greater state involvement in public diplomacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-75
Author(s):  
Anton B. Gekht

This article examines the role of Marcus Wallenberg Jr., a prominent financier and industrialist, one of the leaders of the financial and industrial group of the Wallenberg family, in the foreign policy of Sweden on the eve of and during World War II. Having concentrated in his hands the main threads of influence on the industry and the financial sphere of the kingdom, Marcus Wallenberg was unofficially involved in the development of the foreign policy of the kingdom, which sought to be out of direct involvement in the war. The article examines various contacts with representatives of the opposing sides, carries out with the active participation of this banker and industrialist, both as part of official delegations and as individuals – the main focus is on establishing interaction between the USSR and Finland in 1943-1944, as well as cooperation with the Allies – Britain and the United States. The article also analyses the non-institutionalised regular contacts of Marcus Wallenberg Jr. with the political leadership of Sweden during 1938-1945, including the difficulties faced by the financial and industrial group under his control in the period immediately after the end of World War II.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hendra Maujana Saragih ◽  
Esca Hutama Prayogo Surya ◽  
Syifa Nur Islamiah

Indonesia strives to improve the Islamic image in the United States during the year of 2009-2017. As an effort, Indonesia conducted interfaith dialogue as a diplomacy instrument with the United States known as the Indonesia-US Interfaith Dialogue. As regards the interfaith dialogue, the researchers then scrutinized the efforts of Indonesia to improve the Islamic image in the United States. The researchers used two concepts and one theory in this study, precisely the concept of national interests, the concept of foreign policy, and the concept of Public Diplomacy. This study applied a qualitative approach. The secondary data were taken from books, journals, theses, and official websites and news. The results of this study revealed that after conducting an Interfaith Dialogue with the United States during 2009-2017, the Islamic image in the United States raised to be positive. The positive’s improvement could be seen in US leaders who understood the true meaning of Islam in which Islam is a religion that brought peace as what was promoted by Indonesia


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 49-66
Author(s):  
Hahnkyu PARK ◽  
Chun Hee YANG

South Korea has so far maintained a “double hedging” strategy—that is, the United States for security, China for economy—in managing its relations with the United States and China. Both Washington and Beijing are recently increasing their pressures on Seoul to join their side, respectively. South Korea needs to re-evaluate its current strategy and adopt a more practical strategy based upon rational calculation of national interests rather than upon political leaders’ ideological beliefs or domestic political considerations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 163-173
Author(s):  
Yu. V. MOROZOV ◽  
◽  
A. R. NEUSTRROEVA ◽  

In modern conditions, Central Asia has begun to play an increasing role for non-regional actors, who are increasingly competing for a key role in this region. The first section of the article is devoted to the analysis of the significance of Central Asia and its problems. The second section analyzes American policy and strategy in the region. The third section examines China's interests and policies in Central Asia. The fourth section is devoted to the significance of the region for Russia's national interests. Conclusions concerning the role of Central Asia for the United States, China, and Russia are presented.


2020 ◽  
Vol 02 (01) ◽  
pp. 2050006
Author(s):  
Md. Saifullah Akon ◽  
Mahfujur Rahman

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) — an infectious disease that is spread across the world in the last couple of months — has been declared as a global pandemic because of quick infections and a large number of deaths in the worst-affected countries. The impacts of this pandemic are very significant for the existing global political and economic leadership. The internal policies of the United States and other European countries have plunged the whole world into uncertainty, where China emerges as a new savior. Considering the global politics amid COVID-19, the paper’s main objective is to find out the role of the current global leaders amid COVID-19 and the future of global leadership. Following the qualitative methods of research, this paper critically analyzes the active global role of China to fight against this pandemic by providing necessary assistance to the affected countries. However, this paper shows that although China has emerged as the protector of countries during the coronavirus period, it will have to face many obstacles in leading the post-COVID-19 world order. This paper will help further research on the future of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) policy, which is now being used as a ‘global health silk road’.


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