Soft Power in China: Public Diplomacy through Communication (Palgrave MacMillan Series in Global Public Diplomacy)

The idea of soft power figures crucially in the story of China’s re-emergence as a global power. While the debate on the intentions and merits of its global outreach continues, China has embarked on its quest for an image makeover. Soft Power in China describes and explains the scope of the country’s pursuit of soft power through public diplomacy and international communication. What kinds of images does China want to refashion and project? What is the role of the government vis-?-vis that of other institutional and social actors in these efforts? What kinds of tensions and pressures has China experienced? Where do the programs stand in terms of their impact on the country’s image? What do all these efforts mean to the broader discussion on the study and practice of public diplomacy and national image management? This book represents a collaborative effort to address these questions. This book is about how China strives to rebuild its soft power through communication. It recounts China's efforts by examining a set of public diplomacy tactics and programs in its pursuit of a 'new' and 'improved' global image. These case studies invites the reader to a more expansive discussion on the instruments of soft power.