I found Mingjiang Li's "Soft Power in Chinese Discourse: Popularity and Prospect" to have some interesting presentations of Chinese politicians and academicians in what constitutes China's soft power. I liked, for example, the mention by President Hu Jintao that China needs to ensure its soft power in four "environments:" in the international realm, with its neighboring countries, in its cooperative agreements "based on equality and mutual benefits," and in its media environment.
Historically, China has been seen as an aggressor both by its neighbors and now the rest of the world, particularly Western countries see China's growth as an economic and environmental threat, for example, so that's a tough one to overcome. Its media is also seen as being completely controlled by the state, which just doesn't sell in this day and age, even if you're trying to use media build a country brand. As Yiwei Wang says in "Public Diplomacy and the Rise of Chinese Soft Power," defining the Chinese brand is also a challenge, especially in a society that is evolving so quickly in so many ways.
Where China is making headway, and with a healthy dose of self-interest, is in its relationship and cooperative agreements with developing countries. All of the theory is spot on--promoting the idea of win-win relationships based upon equality and mutual benefits. In Africa, for example, even if you scratch the surface and say, this looks like the same ol' same ol', it is a refreshing change to many Africans after doing business with Western countries that have a colonialist spirit.
As most people know, China is going into business deals without putting "conditionalities" on loans, which doesn't exactly help with African countries' reform processes, namely with regard to governance and human rights, but it is a helluva lot less condescending than someone coming in and telling you how to resolve your problems. It is also resulting in the achievement of some great infrastructure projects. For example, in Angola, the Chinese are building roads in exchange for oil, with the guarantee being the oil that China is sure to receive, and needs for its own development and Angola finally has decent main artery roads that extend throughout the country. Win-win, commodities for basic infrastructure that African countries need to advance development, business interests, and everything else.
In other African countries China has also built schools, health clinics, and sports stadiums, and has refurbished old factories (if for example they judge them to have the potential to be viable). China has also sent doctors and other professionals to work where they're needed, and the folks who come over are paid very modest wages so their living standards are much more comparable to those of their African counterparts, another thing that is winning hearts in developing countries. The fact that China itself is a developing country means that it is more of a South-South relationship and is already endearing to many.
The Confucius Institutes are also a brilliant move! There are plenty of Chinese to staff them, and the ideas of Confucius are certainly one of the pieces of the Chinese brand that many people throughout the world are interested in and would like to know more about.
But the jury is still out, for example, on the development side with regard to what extent the relationships are really win-win, or whether China is just another big power that is in need of primary materials and is complicit in the rape of the African continent. The Chinese development model seems quite promising as part of the country's PD, and it is certainly meeting Chinese interests. If it succeeds over time, then watch out--China's successful PD efforts in this area may pay off dividends both now and even farther down the road in helping position the country to successfully compete in this international realm and meet its foreign policy goal of getting the raw materials it needs to ensure its own development.
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