China's Public Diplomacy Strategy behind the Belt and Road Initiative: How does it support China's efforts in shaping its identity and influencing the way it is perceived by Serbian publics?
Author
Claassen, Annika Dhana
Term
4. term
Publication year
2020
Submitted on
2020-05-15
Pages
57
Abstract
Bælte- og Vej-initiativet (BRI) er et af det 21. århundredes største internationale projekter. Det skal binde lande tættere sammen gennem infrastruktur, handel og kulturel udveksling. Kina præsenterer BRI som til gavn for alle, men omverdenen er delt i sin vurdering af initiativet og af Kinas motiver. For at vinde opbakning har den kinesiske regering valgt en mere aktiv udenrigspolitik og ændret sin strategi for offentlig diplomati, støttet af betydelige indsatser inden for blød magt—altså at påvirke gennem tiltrækningskraft, værdier, kultur og fortællinger frem for tvang. Selvom BRI først og fremmest er et økonomisk projekt, har det også til formål at styrke Kinas omdømme. Derfor er det vigtigt at forstå de blød-magt-motiver og den offentlige diplomati, der ligger bag. Med Serbien som case undersøger afhandlingen, hvordan serbere opfatter Kina, og hvordan denne opfattelse påvirkes af konkrete projekter, investeringer og især de blød-magt-tiltag, der er indlejret i BRI. Da initiativet har et stærkt økonomisk præg, bygger analysen ikke kun på en konstruktivistisk tilgang (hvor ideer og normer tillægges stor betydning), men inddrager også, hvordan økonomiske forhold former holdninger. Undersøgelsen af det sino-serbiske forhold og resultater fra meningsmålinger peger på, at BRI’s offentlige diplomati er effektivt til at forbedre Kinas image blandt serbere. En samlet analyse af Kinas diplomati i Serbien, mediedækningen af Kina og BRI samt den økonomiske indbyrdes afhængighed mellem landene indikerer, at Kinas tiltrækningskraft i Serbien i højere grad udspringer af udbredelsen af normer og værdier via BRI end af de direkte økonomiske gevinster.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is one of the largest international projects of the 21st century, designed to link countries through infrastructure, trade, and cultural exchange. China presents the BRI as beneficial to all, yet the international community is divided about the initiative and China’s intentions. To build support, the Chinese government has adopted a more proactive foreign policy and reshaped its public diplomacy, backed by major soft power efforts—soft power meaning influence through attraction, values, culture, and narratives rather than coercion. Although the BRI is primarily an economic project, it also seeks to improve China’s image. Understanding the soft power goals and public diplomacy strategies behind it is therefore essential. Using Serbia as a case, this thesis examines how Serbians view China and how that perception is shaped by projects, investments, and especially the soft power strategy embedded in the BRI. Because the initiative is economic in nature, the analysis is not purely constructivist (which emphasizes ideas and norms) but also considers how economic factors shape public attitudes. By studying the Sino-Serbian relationship and findings from public opinion polls, the research indicates that the BRI’s public diplomacy strategy is effective in improving China’s image among Serbians. A combined look at China’s public diplomacy in Serbia, media coverage of China and the BRI, and the countries’ economic interdependence suggests that China’s appeal in Serbia stems more from the spread of norms and values through the BRI than from direct economic benefits.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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