Analysis of China's Soft Power and Public Diplomacy: Study of the Confucius Institute Establishment

• Main Authors: Tu, Ling-Yu, 杜鈴玉
• Other Authors: Yeh, Milton-D
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/m2caae

博士 === 中國文化大學 === 中山與中國大陸研究所博士班 === 102 === The term “public diplomacy” was first proposed in 1965 by Edmund A. Gullion. Although the precise definition of public diplomacy is debated, all scholars agree that it is led by the government. According to the commonly accepted definition, benefits of public diplomacy are achieved when other countries institute policies that are advantageous towards the country engaging in public diplomacy. To promote such favorable governmental policies, countries use public diplomacy to create links with non-government organizations, non-profit organizations, public media, academic institutions, private associations, and the general public in the neighboring state. In turn, this positive feedback influences government policies, which become friendlier to the state disseminating its norms and values. Although public diplomacy has become a common policy utilized by many states, it is commonly accepted that the conceptualization of “public diplomacy” and its modern intuitions were first pioneered and most actively promoted by the United States. While Mainland China has historically embraced realist conception of interstate relations and showed limited interest in public diplomacy, its recent foreign policy initiatives indicate a major shift in Mainland China’s thinking about its foreign relations. Among Mainland China’s recent initiatives is the establishment of “Confucius Institutes”, which provide courses in Chinese languages and promotes Chinese culture outside of China. The study of Confucius Institutes is a major example of Mainland China’s soft power in action and is the subject of the present dissertation. In 2004, Mainland China began to establish Confucius Institutes around the world and administers them through The Office of Chinese Language Council, under the Ministry of Education. The purpose of these Institutes is to carry out various academic activities and promote cultural exchanges between Mainland China and the host states. Closely tied to these Institutes are Chinese language teachers, volunteers, and performing students, who are public diplomats and representatives of these institutes. As will be demonstrated in this dissertation, these Institutes serve two diplomatic goals: they promote China’s strategy of “reaching out” to its neighbors to establish friendly relations and attract new friendships by promoting China’s culture abroad. This dissertation observes the flexible character of Confucius Institutes to gain firsthand information that has great long-term research values and implications. To support the observations of this study, field research is conducted at Confucius Institutes at Japan’s Waseda University, J.F. Oberlin University and Germany’s Frankfurt University . This dissertation argues that the establishment of Confucius Institute carves out a new path of public diplomacy that contributes to the enhancing of China’s soft power through promotion of Chinese language teaching and intercultural interactions. Confucius Institute also serves as a reference for “Taiwan Academy’s” future development. The present research has two important findings. First, Mainland China has adopted a well plan and conscious effort to adopt the Confucius Institute as its main public diplomacy platform. The main reason for selecting the Confucius Institute lies in the political and symbolic value of “harmony” which the Confucius Institute promotes. By promoting the idea of harmony, the government can solidify its ruling power at home and abroad by portraying China as a peace loving and responsible rising power. However, the thesis argues that the impact of this soft power initiative is not major one since other countries have limited confidence in China’s ability to follow the values it promotes due to its domestic conditions and a lack of political reform. Furthermore, the survey of Confucius Institutes reveals that the scope of these institutions remains limited to language training and does not extend further into a comprehensive study of China’s culture, thus hindering a deeper understanding of its political and cultural values.