China Takes a Page from U.S. Playbook

Helle Dale / September 24, 2010

If competition is healthy—most conservatives believe it is—the challenge presented by China and other nations in the field of public diplomacy ought to be a wakeup call to the U.S. government. While the United States invented the concept of public diplomacy, other contenders for international leadership are investing heavily in this branch of “soft power,” which focuses on promoting information, ideas, and values. As Washington awaits the results of the Obama Administration’s Quadrennial Development and Diplomacy Review (QDDR), which is far behind schedule, it is clear that leadership and strategic focus are needed to meet rising global “soft power” challenges.

Case in point: China. According to China’s Global Times (a government funded English language publication), leaders in Beijing are stepping up their public diplomacy efforts. This news comes after China announced last year an almost $7 billion global media campaign. At a meeting in Beijing, government leaders and scholars agreed that more needed to be done to further a positive the impression internationally of China’s “peaceful intentions” as a global player. (more…)