scholarly journals The Importance of Cultural Diplomacy in Breaking the Perception of “China Threat”

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cemre Pekcan
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Chinese Foreign Policy ◽  
Cultural Products ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Confucius Institutes ◽  
Growing Economy ◽  
China Threat ◽  
Threat Theory

Cultural diplomacy, which is accepted as a sub-branch of public diplomacy, is described as ‘the exchange of ideas, information, art, and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding’ by Milton C. Cummings. Although this term has been used in international relations for centuries, its acceptance as a theory is a relatively new concept. Cultural diplomacy, as a component of both public diplomacy and also Joseph Nye’s ‘soft power’, includes movies, music, dance, exhibitions, various education and exchange programs, literature and cultural programs. In today’s world, China, a super power with its growing economy, started to feature its soft power, public and cultural diplomacy to break the perception of ‘China threat’ theory which shortly claims that the rising power would eventually challenge the hegemon power and war will be inevitable. The aim of this study is to put forward Chinese efforts in promoting cultural diplomacy to break the perception of ‘China threat’ theory by analyzing the elements of China’s cultural diplomacy, which are basically; Confucius Institutes, marketing Chinese cultural products, series of cultural programs and foreign aid. As the outcomes of the research, it is seen that against ‘China Threat’ theory, China clearly keeps emphasizing its peaceful development and wants to improve its image especially after 1989 Tinananmen Crackdown. Hence, as the most important elements of China’s cultural diplomacy; Confucius Institutes have been established throughout the world, Chinese cultural products are being marketed and Chinese foreign policy is becoming more transparent.

scholarly journals Higher Education as a Bridge between China and Nepal: Mapping Education as Soft Power in Chinese Foreign Policy

Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Priya Gauttam ◽  
Bawa Singh ◽  
Vijay Kumar Chattu
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
International Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Chinese Foreign Policy ◽  
Chinese Investment ◽  
Educational Aid ◽  
Cultural Dialogue

In this globalized world, education has become an important medium to enhance people-to-people contact. The Delores report of the International Commission on Education for the 21st century highlights the enormous potential of higher education to use globalization as a resource for bridging the knowledge gap and enriching cross-cultural dialogue. As a major contributor to soft power and an important field of public diplomacy, international education can have a wealth of advantages, including the ability to generate commercial value, promote a country’s foreign policy goals and interests, and contribute to economic growth and investment. The People’s Republic of China, well-known for being the world’s most populous nation and the global economic powerhouse, prioritizes the internationalization of the country’s higher education system. China is looking to expand its higher education program and carry out its diplomatic project in South Asia. In this sense, the South Asian zone, especially Nepal, is significant for China, where its educational diplomacy is playing as a “bridge between Sino- Nepal relations.” In this review, we describe the place and priority of “Education” in China’s foreign policy; explore China’s mediums of investment in Nepal’s education sector; and highlight the importance of educational aid in Sino-Nepal relations. Chinese educational aid to Nepal takes many forms, where Nepali students and officials engage with Chinese investment to enhance their career prospects and the education system in Nepal.

scholarly journals Japanese Public Diplomacy in Indonesia: The Role of Japanese Agencies in Academic Exchange Programs between Japan and Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
A. Safril Mubah
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Japanese Government ◽  
Mutual Understanding ◽  
Mutual Cooperation ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Academic Exchange ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Transgovernmental Networks ◽  
Student Exchanges

Japan and Indonesia have developed mutual cooperation in academic exchange programs for the past three decades. Japan acknowledges that student interchange plays a significant role in promoting mutual understanding between Japan and foreign countries. Japanese government expects international students, either those who are still studying in Japan or those who have returned to their home countries, serve as a bridge between their countries and Japan. To achieve this goal, Japanese government employs some agencies to undertake academic exchange programs. In Indonesia, particularly, some Japanese agencies such as Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), Japan Foundation, and Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) have played important role in student exchanges. They have various programs to attract Indonesian students getting involved in academic exchanges. This paper describes these agencies’ role in academic exchange programs between Japan and Indonesia. Considering that the Japanese agencies work to promote Japan’s soft power through public diplomacy activities under transgovernmental networks model, I utilize concepts of public diplomacy and transgovernmental networks as a framework for analyzing the case. I argue that Japanese agencies have successfully served as Japanese public diplomacy agents by acting great role in advancing Japan’s soft power through academic exchange activities. However, some challenges appear in the way to achieve Japanese public diplomacy goal to create mutual understanding between Japanese and Indonesian people.

scholarly journals Promoting a Better Image through Culture: The Case of Turkey’s Cultural Diplomacy towards Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-251
Author(s):  
Rifkha Aulia Fazrianti Zaelani ◽  
Ahmad Sahide
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Political ◽  
Muslim Population ◽  
The Public ◽  
State Actors ◽  
The Government ◽  
Political Turmoil

This study attempts to reveal cultural diplomacy, which Turkey implements towards Indonesia. The ‘golden period’ of Turkey is from 2007 until 2013. After that, the public diplomacy of Turkey was not effective as before, and it was fallen dramatically. The country’s instability caused by the political turmoil within the country also influences the growth of international isolation. With these based on the problem that influences its image, Turkey needs to prove a different and better image to promote itself abroad.  Public perceptions can be shaped and controlled by doing cultural diplomacy that acts as soft power. Having one thing in common as a country with a Muslim population as the majority, Turkey has a special place in the hearts of the Indonesian people. Based on the theory of cultural diplomacy by Milton C. Cummings, the authors drew two arguments. First, Turkey’s Cultural diplomacy towards Indonesia is done not only by state actors (officially by the government) but also by non-state actors such as individuals and companies. Second, cultural diplomacy carried out by Turkey towards Indonesia is through all aspects of the needs of the Indonesian people, such as films, fashion, news, music, food, and education.

Unpacking Indonesia's Cultural Diplomacy: Potentials and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-31
Author(s):  
N. Viartasiwi ◽  
A. Trihartono ◽  
A.E Hara
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Grand Narrative ◽  
Global Culture ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Cultural Products ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World

Cultural diplomacy is an influential element of soft power. The concept covers a wide range of activities that aim to promote national interests through strengthening relationships and enhancing sociocultural cooperation among countries. Cultural diplomacy is built upon the culture, identity, and values of the country. As government apparatuses often activate cultural diplomacy, it is civil society that plays the most prominent role. This study takes Indonesia`s diplomacy as a case study to highlight the importance of cultural diplomacy as a soft power instrument. The study seeks to identify the challenges in the creation of a grand narrative of Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy. Finally, the study argues that in the age of globalization in which the world is moving toward a global culture, Indonesia`s cultural diplomacy concept that is rotating around its unique culture, identity and values needs to be reassessed to not only contain unique Indonesian cultural products, but also contain the spirit of the culture, values, and traditions of the Indonesian people who have sustained the unity of Indonesia. Keywords: Cultural Diplomacy; Soft Power; Indonesia *

scholarly journals For Goodwill, Aid and Economic Growth: The Funding of Academic Exchange Through the Swedish Institute, 1945–2010

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Åkerlund
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Development Assistance ◽  
Parallel Programs ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
Exchange Programs ◽  
Academic Exchange ◽  
Different Parts

The article investigates the financial basis of state-sponsored international academic exchange through the Swedish Institute (SI). Founded in 1945 the SI is the main institution for Swedish public diplomacy and is as such part of modern foreign policy and Swedish soft power. This article maps the changing sources of funding as well as the sums spent on academic exchange from 1945–2010. It also discusses the various forms of exchange programs and gives an overview of the ideas behind and arguments for such programs. The overall picture is that state-sponsored exchange after 1945 has expanded. Not only has more and more money been spent on exchange, which led to an increase in the number of persons benefitted, but there has also been a diversification in exchange schemes towards parallel programs, each designed to fulfill a certain task. Though they fund different parts of the SI exchange scheme, the main sources of funding, however, have remained the same: the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, various development assistance agencies and programs as well as the Ministry for Education.

scholarly journals Learning Chinese in Vietnam: The Role of the Confucius Institute

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Natalia V. Selezneva
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Chinese Foreign Policy ◽  
Confucius Institute ◽  
Confucius Institutes ◽  
Cultural Connections

Southeast Asian countries have always been one of the priority regions of the Chinese foreign policy due both to the geographic proximity and to the long historical and cultural connections and new forms of economic and trade cooperation which have been formed on that basis. Vietnam supports close interaction with its northern neighbour not only in the Party matters, but also in the trade and economic, agricultural, tourism, educational, medical, and other spheres. Naturally, this suggests intense learning of the Chinese language on a large scale. China, in its turn, is interested in maintenance and increase of its positive image among the countries of Southeast Asia. That is why China applies various methods and tools of nonforce pressure, which are known as cultural soft power. One of these tools is the Confucius Institute (Classes). China considered it the site of promotion of the Chinese language and Chinese culture abroad. From the outside, Vietnam and China appear to move toward each other in the matter of teaching and learning Chinese, but the reality shows that the Vietnamese side is not hastening to join the Chinese initiative, striving to control the situation, and does not let the Chinese side expand the Confucius Institutes network in Vietnam. Also, the analysis of the situation has shown the insignificant role of the Confucius Institutes in teaching the Chinese language.

New Public Diplomacy Meets Old Public Diplomacy – the Case of China and Its Confucius Institutes

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Falk Hartig
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Political Values ◽  
External Communication ◽  
Power Resources ◽  
New Public ◽  
Confucius Institutes ◽  
State Actors

AbstractThe idea of soft power – the ability to attract others by means of culture, political values and policies – is broadly debated in the context of the re-emergence of China. Less attention has been given to public diplomacy, the actual instrument governments use to mobilize these soft power resources. This paper goes beyond the literature on China’s soft power and focuses on the instrument of public diplomacy. The two paradigms of old and new public diplomacy help to tackle the idea that China is an undifferentiated, monolithic entity acting with a single, unitary logic across cultural domains. Confucius Institutes (CIs), as one important tool of China’s public diplomacy, illustrate this as they include non-Chinese non-state actors into China’s external communication efforts. This approach requires and encourages more dialogue and greater exchange between the stakeholders which co-create messages about China for foreign audiences. Nevertheless, the paper argues that CIs at the same time also illustrate that China’s public diplomacy system largely remains state-centric which limits its influence to shape China’s image and project its soft power.

scholarly journals Not Only Foreign Affairs: U.S. Department of State’ Cultural Policy During Cold War

2020 ◽  
pp. 54-59
Author(s):  
Tetiana S. Klynina
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Cold War ◽  
American Literature ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Public Diplomacy ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
The State ◽  
Department Of State ◽  
The Usa

The article is devoted to the consideration of the existing activities of the US Department of State in matters of cultural policy. Attention is focused on the works of foreign and domestic researchers who devoted their work to the consideration of the essence of the cultural policy of the state, which is often called cultural or public diplomacy or soft power. It is indicated that these directions in the USA are carried out by the structural unit of the State Department – the Bureau of Education and Culture, and the history of its formation is described. The active period of cultural diplomacy in the USA falls at the end of World War II and the beginning of the ideological confrontation between the USA and the USSR, known as the Cold War. One of the active tools for cultural diplomacy has been the dissemination of television and radio broadcasting around the world. No less actively used exchange programs and visits of citizens of other countries, which were designed to promote mutual understanding, international, educational, and cultural exchange, as well as the development of leadership qualities of its participants. It is pointed out that US cultural diplomacy has reached its peak by incorporating jazz, culture, and literature into its arsenal. Keywords: USA, cultural diplomacy, Department of State, American literature, television and radio companies.

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