Cultural Diplomacy & the Expansion of Chinese Soft Power
Author
Lysgaard, Janus
Term
4. term
Publication year
2018
Submitted on
2018-05-31
Pages
59
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, hvilken rolle Kinas kulturelle diplomati spiller i udvidelsen af landets bløde magt i USA, og vurderer, hvor effektive disse tiltag er. Politologen Joseph Nye skelner mellem hård magt (tvang gennem militær og økonomi) og blød magt (tiltrækning og overtalelse) og peger på, at blød magt bliver stadig vigtigere. Kina har anerkendt denne udvikling og har i det seneste årti brugt milliarder på kulturelt diplomati for at styrke sin bløde magt. Specialet fokuserer på tre tiltag i USA: udvidelsen af kinesiske medier, store kinesiske investeringer i Hollywoods filmindustri og etableringen af Konfuciusinstitutter. Teorierne om blød magt og kulturelt diplomati bruges både til at forklare Kinas motivation og til at identificere forhold, der kan svække effekten, for eksempel når målgrupper opfatter tiltagene som propaganda. Analysen giver først baggrunden for Kinas voksende interesse i blød magt og motivationen bag de amerikanske initiativer. Derefter gennemgås hvert af de tre redskaber med nødvendig baggrundsviden, en drøftelse af kontroverser og en vurdering af effekten på Kinas bløde magt i USA, efterfulgt af en samlet evaluering. Specialet konkluderer, at Kinas kulturelle diplomati kan spille en væsentlig rolle i at udvide landets bløde magt i USA, men at tung regeringsindblanding i gennemførelsen kan være kontraproduktiv og hæmme den ønskede effekt.
This thesis examines the role of China’s cultural diplomacy in expanding the country’s soft power in the United States and assesses how effective these efforts are. Political scientist Joseph Nye distinguishes between hard power (coercion through military or economic means) and soft power (attraction and persuasion), arguing that soft power is becoming more important. China has acknowledged this trend and, over the past decade, has spent billions on cultural diplomacy to strengthen its soft power. The thesis focuses on three initiatives in the U.S.: the expansion of Chinese media, major Chinese investments in the Hollywood film industry, and the establishment of Confucius Institutes. The theories of soft power and cultural diplomacy are used both to explain China’s motivations and to identify factors that can undermine effectiveness, such as when audiences view these efforts as propaganda. The analysis first outlines the background to China’s growing interest in soft power and the motivations behind its U.S. initiatives. It then examines each of the three tools in turn, providing essential background, discussing controversies, and assessing their impact on China’s soft power in the U.S., followed by an overall evaluation. The thesis argues that China’s cultural diplomacy can play a significant role in expanding its soft power in the U.S., but that heavy government involvement in implementation can be counterproductive and limit the desired outcomes.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Documents