China's Public Diplomacy at Crossroads

It has been at least five years since Zhao Qizheng introduced public diplomacy to China at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top political advisory body in China.

However, this form of unofficial, cross-cultural communication faces a rather uncertain future with Zhao's retirement this year as CPPCC spokesman.

Zhao has guaranteed that he will continue to spread his theory among his PH.D students at Renmin University, where he is dean of the university's school of journalism. However, Zhao's CPPCC colleagues inside the foreign relations sector care more about the sustainable social impact of public diplomacy beyond the ivory tower.

To that end, they introduced a series of proposals at yesterday's group discussion, which was attended by CPPCC National Committee Chairman Jia Qinglin. Proposals included the establishment of a public diplomacy association inside CPPCC, the setting up of relevant training for CPPCC members and the government's formal endorsement of the magazine Public Diplomacy Quarterly.

Jia welcomed members' efforts, and promised to promote the ensuing public diplomacy programs by setting up a special think-tank specifically for that purpose.

Such a commitment, if followed through on, could have a real influence through Chinese society, including government officials, local entrepreneurs and average Chinese citizens, who may sometimes be baffled by foreign criticism of China.

"Before [the country's reform and opening up], China was, to some extent, isolated from the world," Zhao wrote in the preface to his latest book "The Wisdom of Public Diplomacy". He continued:, "Therefore, [even after the opening up] they [other countries] cannot get a comprehensive understanding of the country."

According to Zhao, biased foreign media reports slant overseas public opinion against China, so it is crucial that China rebrands its image via public diplomacy.

It seems that Zhao's efforts may be starting to pay off. It is hard to say whether Vice President Xi Jinping was inspired by the strategies of public diplomacy. However, according to the Washington Post, his personable, easy-going public image during his trip to the US received positive online reviews on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.

Commenting on Xi's trip, where the vice president climbed into a tractor, and watched the fourth-quarter of an LA Lakers basketball game dressed in casual attire, Zhao said: "That's a spontaneous piece of public diplomacy." Zhao himself appears unlikely to let up with the public diplomacy charm offensive, despite these times of transition.

He is scheduled to campaign for Chinese culture at next month's London Book Fair, where China will be a guest of honor. Zhao stated his belief that books are an important way of transmitting Chinese culture, but he bemoaned the lack of quality writers.

"There are too few good writers," he said in an interview with China.org.cn. "Most of them have no idea about how to portray the real China."

Public diplomacy is still very much in its infancy in China. The US government created the position of Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in 1999 in order to undertake less official diplomatic strategy. However, in China, public diplomacy is still awaiting official government recognition. Zhao, however, see critical differences between the two countries' styles, and is typically forthright in his opinions. Speaking about China's diplomatic style, he said: " It [China] represents only itself and does not impose ideas on others."

Zhao Qizheng at the press conference.