Author(s)

Xinyue Ma ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Graduate Institute of Politics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, 106923, China

Corresponding Author

Xinyue Ma

ABSTRACT

This research explores China's use of Cultural Diplomacy as a Soft Power measure to ensure its image is well-managed and sustains good diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries, especially during geo-political tension. Based on Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, the study aims to identify the positive effects of cultural diplomacy in the form of Confucius Institutes, educational exchanges, and cultural festivals to shape the public's attitude positively. Utilising historical and contemporary texts, official documentation, surveys, and scholarly literature, the study builds an analytical framework for evaluating how cultural diplomacy works, what occurs in the short and long term, and how it interplays with other modes of diplomacy. These studies reveal that China's cultural diplomacy can temporarily enhance its image and may well do so through the dissemination of educational programs as well as cultural exchanges with Southeast Asian people. However, such outcomes are not easily achieved, and the continuation of these initiatives over the long term depends on people's consistent interest in such issues as well as the incorporation of these initiatives within broader diplomatic approaches. Vietnam and the Philippines, with their conflicts over the South China Sea's sovereignty, escalate significant challenges to cultural diplomacy since animosities may trace themselves back to their long-standing political heritage. However, in countries with no hostility to China, cultural diplomacy has been proven to help form a positive image of the country in other countries.

KEYWORDS

Cultural Diplomacy; Soft Power; Geopolitical Tensions; China-Southeast Asia Relations

CITE THIS PAPER

Xinyue Ma, Cultural Diplomacy and China's Image in Southeast Asia: Managing Bilateral Relations through Soft Power. Journal of Political Science Research (2024) Vol. 5: 39-52. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/DOI: 10.23977/polsr.2024.050204.

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