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Principally, Winter (2016) [5] argues that based on the following historical narrative premise of connectivity, it is stated that both culture and economic reduces suspicion and promotes common prosperity. In accordance with scholar Nye Jr. (2009) [6] the notion of soft power is an ability to co-opt people to achieve political ends through attraction rather than coercion or payment. 
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Nevertheless, China has still been able to extend this initiative full-fledged to its Asian neighbors, becoming a significant and acceptable policy for most in the region in its drive to attain economic and developmental growth. Fundamentally, through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China has now been able to transform and demonstrate the vibrant contribution and impact of this policy, through such aspects of a multi-culturalism, multi-ethnicity, social, political and economic sphere. 
Fundamentally, when examined, it is noted that Chinese soft power relies mainly on sources of the aspects of public diplomacy, which is a form of cultural diplomacy, since in China, many of the aspects that public diplomacy covers such as television (TV), radio, cultural and educational exchanges, scholarly, newspaper publication, etc. Likewise, former Chinese President Hu Jintao echoed similar sentiments by stating, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will definitely be accomplished by the thriving of Chinese culture (Albert, 2017) [4] . 0000002429 00000 n
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Additionally, it is further elaborated that the bright future of the One Belt and One Road Initiative strategy is closely related to its historical origin and cultural charm (Hu, 2017) [3] . Significantly, the growing popularity and expanding international recognition of Chinese culture and traditions over the years has demonstrated the increasing development and the importance of Chinas soft power. Principally, when one takes a keen look at China and the One Belt and One Road Initiative in promoting its image in Asia, it is noted that China is investing immensely in numerous resources in Asia in connecting its past history by creating and establishing expos, festivals, universities, language training centers, museums, Confucius Institutes, television shows that represent the Chinese culture and innumerable other display of cultural diplomacy that promotes its image, and the development of cultural awareness by way of its soft power tools. From this conception, almost all countries in the world generally pursue peace in the international arena and the BRI is seen as an important initiative in the enhancement of peace to acquire developmental opportunities for all the countries party to this policy. Hence, according to a Pew Survey conducted in 2014, it states that Asian attitudes towards China differ considerably across the region (Global opposition to U.S. Surveillance and Drones, but limited harm to Americas image. For example: as far back as 2008, China in promoting its image showcased the cultural aspect of China to the world through the Beijing Olympics and equally in 2010 through the Shanghai Expo, etc.
In a multi-polar international system that is becoming more and more globalized, countries today are paying greater attention to cultural diplomacy, as part of a central component that represents their national and international interest and image in the international arena. With this sentiment, evidently China has made developmental strides in cultural diplomacy through the use of its soft power strategies such as through its traditional and cultural appeal, investing in the opening of numerous Confucius centers, language training centers, museums, expos, etc., in Asia in promoting its image by spreading its culture to gain appreciation and support, as well as through the mission of Sinology research to share with the world about China. China therefore, in promoting its image in Asia through the BRI, to ensure proper integration of cultural diplomacy through the use of its soft power strategy in promoting deep interaction, establishing a bridge for communication, building deep rooted accord between the different cultures in Asia; will essentially have to ensure that this initiative develops and grow to achieve effective outcomes beneficial to the countries party to the initiative in the Asian region. 0000003928 00000 n Indeed, China is already promoting and supporting language training in many countries in Asia and over the years the numbers of language training center, Confucius institutes has risen steadily, resulting additionally in the increase of more Asian studying mandarin in the region. Table 1 shows the geographical composition of Asia, which is divided into East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia and Central Asia, comprising approximately fifty independent countries and regions. The conclusion is that China increasingly used cultural diplomacy and turned it into a key instrument in its strategy for international insertion. Scholar David Shambaugh posits that culture has become an important support within Chinas strategy to secure its influence internationally, as was laid out at the 2011 plenary session of the 17th central committee of the CCP (Winter, 2016) [5] . Diplomacia Cultural en Canad: explorando modelos, analizando resultados. Over the years, Chinas economy and its soft power strategy, particularly to that of Asia have grown in leaps and bounds. A pesquisa pode ser. Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Cultural Diplomacy, Culture, Image, Asia, National and International Interest, Soft Power, Cultural Awareness. So far, the threat of this, By clicking accept or continuing to use the site, you agree to the terms outlined in our. Admittedly, it is clearly understood, that not all countries in the Asian region have a favorable and positive attitude towards China, although its influence and presence is increasingly growing in this region. 0000012566 00000 n Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Each Asian country depicted in table 2 have its different spoken languages, system of government, social factors, economical factors, cultural belief, etc.
Depicts the geographical Asian Region: Lists of Independent Asian Countries and Regions. Public Diplomacy in China 5. 0000003523 00000 n Respectively, Clayton Dube affirms that Chinas principles of peaceful co-existence will assist China to improve its relations with neighboring countries and accumulate its soft power in the Asian region in the long run, (Experts says B&R Initiative can boost Chinas soft power, 2017) [18] . Since China became one of the important and, Revista Interdisciplinar Internacional de Artes Visuais, The main purpose of this paper is to analyses how China is present in Brazilian society by its arts and cultural diplomacy since BRICS Museums Alliance signed in 2018.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Conversely, the growing expansion of Chinas infrastructural investment activities in Asia through the BRI has seen developments through plans which are underway for the construction of the building of railways in Southeast Asia, which entails, the building of a tunnel through the mountains of Laos and the expansion of the railways in Central Asia, which is expected will help countries with their economic development and in turn will help boost Chinas soft power strategy and promotes Chinas image, moreover making it more attractive (Experts says B&R Initiative can boost Chinas soft power, 2017) [18] . B;@lL3B`@P= M 1P "`J"ia Ve00EAAg F. Copyright 2006-2022 Scientific Research Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. In recent years, an increase number of scholars have pointed to Chinas past history of overcoming a century of humiliation at the hands of oppressive powers, thus of significance, this is one factor that plays a considerable major role in the way China conduct international affairs in todays society. Nye. The conceptual meaning of the BRI with its strong implication, despite numerous questions and doubts surrounding arguments of its success to succeed and needing to have a clear plan, evidently has been welcomed.
According to scholar (Arndt, 2005) [8] , the use of cultural diplomacy can be traced back as early as the Bronze Age, and it is argued, cultural diplomacy has been a norm for humans intent upon civilization. 0000005358 00000 n The cultural contact with diverse countries is on the increase, thus changing cultural relations; therefore soft power is more critical than ever in Chinas foreign policy. An alternative framework of analysis to investigate China's Confucius Institutes : a great leap outward with Chinese characteristics? Furthermore, in relation to the connotation of Culture to China, Zhang (2015) [10] explains the meaning of culture to China, by stating, in modern China there is a lack of culture. Table 2 depicts the major Asian countries along the BRI route. Thus, the interaction of the Chinese in the Asian countries and regions provides for the exchange of Chinese culture and likewise that of learning the different ways of life of the cultures of the diverse nations in Asia, which positively China will continue to expand its cultural and educational programs that are vital to the enhancement of its image, influence, security, and prosperity in Asia. Essentially then, this is the ability to force, through the use of threats and inducements. Since the revival of the Old Silk Road and the construction of the BRI, its significance has gradually increased in magnitude as a component of Chinas strategic policy, symbolizing the vision of connectivity, with its huge investment, infrastructural development, etc., aligning the countries along the BRI route and allowing for cross cultural exchanges and sharing of knowledge between people in the Asian region. An Introduction, Behind the Headlines: Chinas Media Engagement in South Africa. 1. This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. For example: In Malaysia, private language school enrollment in Chinese classes has increased immensely. In the Pakistan-China Institute in Islamabad, in collaboration with the University of Karachis Latif Ebrahim Jamal National Science Information Centre (LEF), launched a basic Chinese language course in all public Universities across Pakistan, to be delivered via video conferencing to develop their Chinese Language skills (Confucius Institutes Expanding Rapidly to Meet Demand for Chinese Language Skills, 2014) [21] . Years ago, Chinas influence has been filtered through the import of Chinese cultural values in the Asian region by means through the internalization of providing extensive training for Asian language teachers, sending more Chinese native speakers to work in schools in the Asian region, the creation of Chinese media organizations such as radio and television, etc. This paper aims to identify and analyze cultural diplomacy as an innovative tool in this new age by promoting the image of China in Asia through the Belt and Road Initiative, by means of the various characteristics of culture as a soft power tool. Equally, four additional university campuses have also been established in other countries by China along the Old Maritime Silk Road in Laos, Malaysia and Thailand and 98 joint educational programs abroad, and similarly a campus in Japan (Liu & Sukumaran, 2017) [20] . 0000000788 00000 n This past practice resulted in shared harmonious heritage in the exchange of commodities. For that reason, the interaction of China in Asia largely provides for the exchange of Chinese culture and likewise that of learning the way of life of the various cultures of the diverse countries party to the BRI in the Asian region. 0000005665 00000 n Introduction 2. Thus, its clear and obvious in the way China expresses and communicates its ideas regionally and globally. In effect, it is possible to say that China has been successful in using specific soft power techniques to build its image, as a trustworthy regional power with the ability to offer developmental growth in the Asian region now and optimistically will continue to do so in the future. b>H_#(?YRj@)"c=X+a\0I.yR}#Qs?z?nAyBpc &%@c>\)QN~RN>*D=H|1$?#9Ip Tian posits that the numbers of people in the Belt and Road nations learning the Mandarin language have increased, and this has played a key role in boosting relations (Wong, 2017) [19] . Notable, to this end, the changing image of China regionally, not only as a major lender and investor, but as well its willingness to also listen to other nations, thus leading to improving, establishing and boosting its extensive economic ties and cultural diplomacy through the use of its soft power tools in improving and developing its communication, furthermore creating cross cultural exchanges, and further increasing and promoting its image in Asia. This, in retrospect meant the development of the One Belt and One Road Initiative becoming a vehicle for the process of integrating people of different societies, Peng (2014) [16] in the global development process through common and mutual trust, respect and cultural heritage. Chinese Public Diplomacy: The Rise of the Confucius Institute, Constructive Journalism: A New Journalistic Paradigm of Chinese Media in Africa. By means of the use of soft power in promoting its image and furthering its relations through the establishment of its strategic drive, it seems China is destined to connect the globe through this momentous initiative, more so than ever as a resourceful means in achieving its national and international interest. For this reason, it should be clearly understood that culture does indeed shapes the economic corridors of China, and evidently it is obvious through the newly revived Belt and Road Initiative, which in essence allows for economic growth, that will provide and lead towards the enhancement of regional connectivity and in particular that of cultural connectivity through shared heritage in order to gain mutual trust, further loyalty and influence Chinas image among countries in Asia. In effect, Chinas decision to be involved in the international system means that the use of cultural diplomacy is expected and is a fundamental factor in connecting cultures and promoting cultural diversity, therefore the necessity to build any form of relationship requires interaction with other countrys in order to understand different cultures and what they mean. This has continued through the encouragement of the use of cultural diplomacy through its soft power tools throughout a series of cultural events such as the Silk Road International Arts Festival, the Marine Silk Road International Arts Festival and the Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo in different countries to promote cultural communication among the BRI countries, Wu (2017) [15] thus creating the opportunity for more people to become more culturally aware of China s tradition and cultural heritage. Cultural Awareness Leads to Cultural Interest and a Harmonious Society. %%EOF Moreover, over the period China has worked hard to establish an image as a dependable regional leader with the required economic efficiency; through the use of its soft power policy in implementing the BRI in Asia, which with clear clarity the expectation or probability exist that this will no doubt lead to the exchange of the integration of different civilizations in the region. Soft Power supports and deepens diplomatic ties, the sharing of knowledge and expertise, and the cooperation on shared common areas of interest. The People's Republic of China has long sought to improve its image in the world through various and numerous forms of public and cultural diplomacy. 0000007542 00000 n %PDF-1.4 % %PDF-1.3 % 0000018672 00000 n The BRI according to Chinese President Xi Jinping (Xi, 2017) [22] , at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in May stated that, reflecting on our forefathers aspiration for a better life, the ancient Silk Road connected nations in Asia and Europe, catalyzed cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and the West, and made an important contribution to progress in human civilization. 0000004871 00000 n Table 1. Essentially, Nye theorizes that soft power is a matter of seduction and behaviors such as arrogance, which might be counterproductive involving repulsion rather than attraction (Nye Jr., 2009) [6] . China, in effect has realized that this is necessary for the BRI to be effective. In todays contemporary society, when the concept of hard power is examined, in practicality it is very costly for countries that use hard power through the use of military means as coercive diplomacy, military interventions, threats or the use of force, economic sanctions, etc., as part of its nationwide and foreign policy; while in relation to soft power, it is free, unconditionally in the sense that it does not require large resources and has limited consequences in case of failure. For example: most recently there has been video clips showcasing and promoting Chinas the BRI, such as an American parent telling its child a bedtime story about the BRI project and a music clip of children apparently depicting the different countries along the BRI route, dancing and singing and another video clip depicting the journey of a whisky bottle riding the first rail freight (Slick Chinese Propaganda drive promotes One Belt and One Road Initiative abroad, 2107) [17] . It means that culture is a tool that shapes, influences and holistically gives meaning to our lives. 0000004670 00000 n Accordingly, given that each Asian country along the BRI routes has its own cultural identities as stated before. 0000002471 00000 n Meanwhile, some scholars argue, O artigo visa identificar os motivos que levaram o governo de Pequim a assinar um acordo provisrio com a Santa S aceitando sua participao na nomeao dos bispos chineses. 0000002406 00000 n 0000001672 00000 n Additionally, China is able more so than ever with its peaceful image in sync with the new era of spreading cultural diplomacy through education, tourism, media, languages, performing arts, Confucius ideology, etc., by means of being perceptive, and developing the aptitude to utilize culture as the basis of soft power in its strategic drive. Thus, ultimately the power to connect culturally, deepening cultural exchanges, sustain economic growth, security cooperation and bonding people regionally, can result in collectivity making the Asian countries and regions more culturally aware of the Chinese Culture and the development of cultural interest in developing a harmonious society. trailer Profoundly, it is noted that other countries are increasingly investing in their soft power and catching up quite quickly in many areas, especially with other countries such as China, that has been investing immensely in soft power over the years, for example: Chinas investments in soft power have already surpassed many other countries in the world. This study focuses on how the New York Times coverage of Confucius, Confucius Institutes (CIs) are Chinese public educational organizations that promote Chinese language and culture around the world. The development of cultural awareness as a result of the BRI in Asia through the use of Cultural diplomacy as a soft power is necessary and it involves the interaction, the awareness of cultural values, beliefs and perceptions, etc. As a rising power, China is increasingly concerned about its image, due to which it is increasingly investing into its, Abstract China, in seeking greater engagement with African audiences, has dramatically boosted its potential to shape narratives in ways that can favour its image or interests abroad. Chinese vice Minister of Education, Tian Xuejun, states that Mandarin has become one of the most important languages of communication between China and the countries involved in the One Belt and One Road (OBOR) Initiative (Wong, 2017) [19] . China uses disinformation to translate its economic power into Great Power, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, ABSTRACT There has been a global convergence of policies attempting to standardize the practices and competencies of school leaders. Thus, additionally through Chinas strategic objective, its appeal and the promoting and extending of diplomatic friendship, its principle of noninterference in the affairs of other countries, that is respecting other countries main interest and concerns and that of no encroachment on states sovereignty, are also added dimensions to Chinas cultural diplomacy as a strategy of its soft power tools. Hence, in 2015 at the Boao Forum for Asian Annual Conference, Xi Jinping in his speech stated that the One Belt and One Road Initiative will promote inter-civilization exchanges to build bridges of friendship for our people, drive human development and safeguard peace of the world (Xi, 2015) [11] . Furthermore, he states China knows westerners even than they know us, thus, we need to get our best culture out to reach them and we should talk about the BRI in terms of contribution and dedication (Zhang, 2015) [10] . Over the years, Chinas foreign policy has become more visible and assertive, similarly its economic power which is still growing; but growing steadily through the use of its soft power approach in influencing and promoting its image. Add your e-mail address to receive free newsletters from SCIRP. startxref Over the years, the perception of the People Republic of China and its image in each Asian country before and after the BRI more or less varied. This, in essence has paved the way for China to increase its influence and promote its image in Asia by providing for more contact with the Chinese Culture, which has and will create a smaller regional village for people in Asia to become more accepting and as a consequence, taking greater responsibility through the role of a new form of globalization, assuming new cultural practices and by adapting to new ways of doing things. This policy convergence highlights a similar set of leadership, Abstract:Accompanying the rapid global expansion of China's Confucius Institutes (CIs) is a growing chorus of criticisms over its underlying intentions and influences. Finally, Chinas soft power strategy offers a systematic and important way for it to respond to many challenges it faces relating to the security of its Asian neighbors, providing investment projects and programs, opportunity for employment, education, improving technical skills, the opportunity of learning new ideologies, Mandarin language, educational exchange programs, research cooperation, expertise skills, etc., which will strengthen its economic link and likewise its cultural link in Asia and the support of the Asian countries aspirations, leading to cultural interest and essentially developing a harmonious society. In all, Chinas BRI in Asia and its soft power strategy will stimulate the economic prosperity in Asia, which will largely assist in bringing about the economic, social, infrastructural development of fragile countries in the Asian region. Conversely, over the years China has garnered a central role in the utilization of cultural diplomacy as a soft power tool as an alternative approach in effectively stimulating, building and developing a more secure and stable image in the international system as a rising regional and global power. Given the importance soft power plays, what essentially is soft power? 0000002717 00000 n Through the use of cultural diplomacy as a soft power strategy, which stems from the perception of Chinas foreign policies, its five principles of peaceful co-existence and its alignments to the United Nations Charter, further propels the development of cultural awareness leading to cultural interest, which essentially will lead to a harmonious society in Asia.