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China’s Soft Power in ASEAN: Opportunities and Challenges
Kitti Prasirtsuk, Ph.D.
Director
Institute of East Asian Studies
Thammasat University
Topics1. What is “soft power”?
2. Analyzing Each Element of China’s Soft Power
- Culture
- Values
- Foreign Policy
3. Conclusion
- Opportunity
- Challenge
Notes: Admittedly, there is variation of receptivity in ASEAN due to diversity of the region.
2
1. What is soft power?
• Not hard power (military, coercive nature)
• persuasive power, ability to shape preferences; attraction, admiration, reputation
• E.H. Carr (1939): Power over opinion
• Joseph Nye (2004): 1) culture
2) values
3) foreign policy
overlapped, e.g. cultural diplomacy
• Resources / tools (not always necessarily turned to effect)
3
Joseph Nye. Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics (New York:
Public Affairs, 2004).4
Portland, The Soft Power 30, a global ranking of soft power, 2017
The Soft Power 30’s framework broadens a range of factors that contribute
to a
nation’s soft power.
5
2. Analyzing Each Element of China’s Soft Power
Culture
• Ethnic Chinese as cultural agents more in every day life
• Chinese new year, Chinese medicine, Fangshui, Taichi etc.
• Confucian Institute (CI) and Classrooms
• Learning Chinese language for economic reasons
7
Chinese Traditional Culture
Chinese Opera Chinese food
8
China’s Pop Culture
• China is not yet to promote liberal pop culture.
• Movies filled w political agenda, esp. period movies, e.g. Confucius, The Founding of the Republic not much popular
* China: strong on traditional culture but not on contemporary pop culture
9
Chinese Movies
The Three KingdomsFounding of the Republic
10
Lost in Thailand The Great wall
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China’s Values/Ideas/Concepts
• “harmonious world”
• “Peaceful Rise”
• “Beijing Consensus”
• “Factory of the World”: from low-tech to hi-tech products (including high-speed train, solar cell)
• Now “Market of the World”
12
China’s Foreign Policy
• “peaceful rise”/ “peaceful development”
• “good neighbor policy” (renewed by President Xi in 2013)
• Economic assistance
• Cultural Diplomacy
• Panda Diplomacy
• Leader Visits
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Various Initiatives
• Maritime Silk Road
• Maritime Cooperation Fund
• Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
• Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
• Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC)
etc.
14
Youth ExchangePanda Diplomacy
Limitations:
- assertive China
- sometimes inconsistent, preoccupied with domestic development/issues
- BRI is bilateral more than multilateral, and not charity.
- mutual interest?
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The Soft Power 30 – A Global Ranking of Soft Power 2017 by Portland , USC Center on Public Diplomacy
Ranking Country Score Ranking Country Score
1France
75.75 16 Belgium 62.8
2United Kingdom
75.72 17 Finland 62.37
3United States
75.02 18 New Zealand 61.96
4Germany
73.67 19 Ireland 60.62
5Canada
72.9 20 Singapore 58.55
6Japan
71.66 21 South Korea 58.4
7Switzerland
70.45 22 Portugal 54.43
8Australia
70.15 23 Greece 52.17
9
Sweden
69.32
24 Poland 51.27
10Netherlands
67.89 25 China 50.5
11Denmark
65.48 26 Russia 49.6
12Norway
65.2 27 Czech 48.73
13Italy
64.7 28 Hungary 48.16
14Austria
63.75 29 Brazil 47.41
15Spain
63.57 30 Turkey 45.35
36 Thailand 42.8917
Conclusion
Opportunity: China has plenty of resources that present an ample opportunity for China to augment its soft power.
• Traditional culture through overseas Chinese
• Chinese are receptive to 2-way exchange.
• Effective diplomacy with economic and political influences
• Various initiatives with tangible benefits
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Challenges
• Need to strengthen contemporary pop culture and values.
• Soft power can be overridden by hard conflicts, esp. territorial disputes.
• Nationalist sentiments
• Balance between good neighbor policy and assertiveness.
• How to achieve win-win mutual benefits.
19