10 May 2020, NIICE Commentary 4583
Dr. Lila Nyaichyai
The public diplomacy is important for China with its increasing influence in the world arena as it will increase connectivity among the people and they will be empowered. With this essence, China proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for people-to-people relations (ren jian guanxi, literal translation becomes relations between people). Zhao Kejin, Associate Professor of Tsinghua University who is an expert on Chinese public diplomacy has categorized propaganda and people’s relations as the two major elements of Chinese public diplomacy and the BRI has clearly admitted enhancing people-to-people relations among its five major objectives. It is quite clear that China has set a goal to enhance relation with people around the world. In other term, Chinese public diplomacy is counting various state apparatus, civil societies, and influential individual people inside own country and in foreign land.
The increased visibility of individual people in public diplomacy has been already explained by Jan Melissen, the director of Netherland Institute of International Relations, in the book ‘The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations’. Melissen has suggested for the urgent need to alter the traditional diplomatic mindset due to the emergence of multilateral decision-making factors and the rising multi actors in international affairs. Moreover, he has pointed what changes are actually required, that is the diplomats must have the strength to take calculated risks, never think that a diplomat can have complete control over one’s initiative, and always think about the access of techniques that were unknown to previous experiences. The purpose of mentioning these measures is to evaluate the Chinese public diplomacy trend.
Contemporary Trends of Chinese Public Diplomacy
In the book ‘Debating Public Diplomacy’ published in 2019, Zhao Kejin states that China’s public diplomacy has changed from ‘listening’ to ‘telling’ stories, and it is now more ‘confident, positive and active’. He further mentioned that by 2012, China had decided to focus on cultural and other informal norms under (Communist Party of China) CPC’s leadership. As the scholars of public diplomacy, he has analyzed that there are involvement of the government, non-government and even individual people. Mostly, it is led by the government and in China’s case the leader of public diplomacy is the Communist Party of China, which it was mentioned by many Chinese scholars.
The purpose of public diplomacy is ‘to win the heart and mind’ of the domestic and foreign public so that public would perform the task for them as desired by the host country. While translating these purposes for China, it can be seen that China wants people to like its purposed BRI, accept Chinese culture, norms and values, welcome China’s knowledge, scientific achievements and others, which will make China stronger and influential in politics, economics, culture, and society in the world arena.
Chinese Public Diplomacy in Nepal
Nepal-China relations have been gradually visible not only in political visit exchanges but also in various level engagements. While viewing on the current development of COVID-19 pandemic, China is reacting proactively through the embassy, media houses, medical persons, business houses and scholars. After the visit of the Chinese President Xi Jingping on 12-13 October 2019, it was claimed that Nepal-China relation has been succeeding in achieving trust at the highest level. It was expected to receive more development projects, foreign direct investments and tourists from China. Unfortunately, China was hit by COVID-19 since December 2019 and spread around the world, which has altered the global order.
Amid the health crisis, China’s focus has been on ‘battle’ against the virus. China was locked down for months. Chinese health workers and Government received lots of appreciation for their achievement in combatting the virus. Chinese government’s effective ways to save each and every citizen, the story of building huge temporary hospitals in weeks, and mobilizing health personnel in huge number were really appreciated around the world. Similarly, Chinese leaders have reached to all the countries of the world and are pleading for joint support at the time of the crisis. Media, which is inevitable and important means for Chinese public diplomacy has been actively sharing information and the Chinese experience of containing the COVID-19.
Many Nepalese have been sympatric towards China and different civil societies organized solidarity programmes in Nepal during COVID-19 ‘battle’ of China. People from different sectors such as businessman, political party leaders, media personals, scholars and common people were involved which is clear refelection of ‘localization’ of Chinese public diplomacy in Nepal.
While the pandemic has caused suffering in Nepal as well, Chinese president Xi called the Nepalese president and offered all possible help. Similarly, different government and non-government organisations of China such as Buddhist Association of Hainan Province, Hogfu Temple in Shenzhen City, Ganxu Provincial government, Xi Zhang (Tibet) government and others donated medical masks, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), infra rate thermometer, PCR machine, testing kits and other medical supplies to government and non-government organisations of Nepal. Moreover, Chinese ambassador has mediated a video conference between Nepalese and Chinese medical team that helped Nepal learn from the Chinese experience. China has been conducting such exercises around the world and ‘Medical Diplomacy’ has become one of the effective tool of Chinese public diplomacy at present. Nepalese have good impression of the Chinese doctors’ team as they had come to Nepal earlier, to help the earthquake victims of Nepal in 2015. In fact, China sent such team of doctors in different parts of the world to help fight COVID-19 in recent times.
Conclusion
The present emergency situation of Nepal and China can be utilized to exchange knowledge and experiences to cope with this fight against the virus. It provides righteous reason for Nepal and China to work together for preserving human health. It is not only Nepal, but the global attention is toward China for finding the permanent solution of this deadly virus. Hence, it is a huge opportunity for China to prove her strength it has gathered in the field of Science and Technology which is for the betterment of humankind. Nepalese people has maintained the positive aspirations for China and the Chinese effort against COVID-19, amid the suspicious opinions published in western media against China’s role. The victory over the COVID-19 by China is the major reason behind such positive approach. Similar approach is taken by Nepalese government and Nepalese civil societies. Moreover, China has positive feeling for Nepalese and has maintained harmonious relations since past. These are the achievements of Chinese public diplomacy in Nepal.
