China's Public Diplomacy

As China emerging as a world power, so China wants to present itself as a responsible, admirable state and for that purpose China has to make public orient foreign policies. In 21^st century public opinion matters a lot, to formulate policies for other states, a state must keep in mind that its foreign policies should attract the public of other states, and then a state can achieve its national interests, because of the rise of globalization the States have been using new strategies to promoting their national interests and achieve consideration of foreign audience; the public diplomacy is a tool to impress the public of other state and China knows how to use this tool. Public diplomacy (PD) of any state can influence scholars, opinion makers, and social activists; and ordinary public of any state. In 21^st century states are using public and cultural diplomacy to promote their self-interests. PD promotes soft power of any state.

China’s leadership wants to improve Chinese image on international level by using PD. Chinese President Hu Jintao said in July 2009 that “the implementation of public diplomacy is directly related to China's image.” Same argument came from Zhao Qizheng, spokesman for the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), he said that “China needs a bigger public diplomacy campaign to better present the country to the world.”

On 26^th August 2010, during a press conference Beijing Foreign Studies University has announced that it has established a Public Diplomacy Research, that was China's first institution to focus on PD research and its founding will promote China's PD research and it will also provide platform for the public to participate.

China using media as instrument to promote its PD, China improve its media network e.g. the Chinese state television (CCTV) has been advance and now it is internationally broadcast, like US using VOA as tool to promote its PD same China advance CCTV to promote its policies. China also using its media e.g. Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International or People Daily’s and China Daily’s newspapers, as instruments to tell the Chinese development and strategies to the world and also aware foreign audiences to understand China and promoting China’s national interests. According to many scholars, the main objectives of China’s PD are to convince the whole world about its peaceful intentions, secure the resources it needs to its economic growth, and isolate Taiwan, so China like US must pay attention to its media and must advance its media because media is major source to spread PD.

According to a report, “presently people in China have made millions of trips abroad every year, and more than 20 million people from overseas came to China annually on tourist or business trips.” China also promoting its PD through Beijing Olympic Games, it is an opportunity for China to promote its policies throughout the world. China’s is rising economic power, China wants foreign nations to invest in the country, so China by using PD convince foreign nations to invest in China, because China want to boost its commerce sector.

China also providing scholarships to foreign students, many students throughout the world comes in China for medical, engineering and as well as other university courses, China welcome all these student, it is also part of its PD, by which China try to show its positive image to foreign nation; and through this scholarship scheme China also spreading its culture and language all over the world.

The aid which is China giving to other states is also amazing other nations, like China has interests in Central Asia region and Africa, so China can get its objectives, by minimizing the influence of other states, for that purpose China has to use PD, if China wants influence in these region China will has to make its positive image and convince their public by using PD.

China wants oil, so China using oil diplomacy in Africa and providing assistance to those African states which are full of oil resources as Sudan had oil but Sudan was importing oil, because of poverty Sudan had no technologies to utilize its own oil resources, China had provided technology to Sudan and now Sudan turn from oil importing country to oil exporting country, because it is China’s self interest, China needs oil so in African states China using PD, and providing them aid in billions, most of  the investment of China is in Sudan and Angola, China building roads, hospitals and school, by doing all this on one hand China is getting oil and on other hand China is improving its image as a donor not only in African public minds but also in whole world.

As the basic purpose of PD is to enhance the exchanges and interaction and cooperation with the public in order to win the understanding and support of the public for foreign policies, and to improve image all over the world, so we can say China to some extent got these things because the image of China foreign public minds is cooperative state, because according to a BBC poll from 2005 which  carried out in twenty-two nations, 48% of people thought China’s role in the world was mainly positive, China by using its PD has make better image in world. China should make full play of PD to enhance interaction, as China welcome foreigner to visit China or providing scholarship to foreigners, same PD strategies China should adopt for its own public, and must encourage to his scholars and tourist to visit those states, in which China founds its interest, it will enhance China’s foreign relation and also highlight Chinese image.