A Primer on Bilateral Relations between the U.S. and China

There is no question that China is a major global power, but how is the country harnessing public diplomacy initiatives to become a leader in soft power? As part of our “Rising Soft Power in a Multipolar World” initiative, this e-book seeks to provide a deeper understanding of Chinese public diplomacy trends and soft power practices.

Highlights from this curated collection of resources include a behind-the-scenes look at the Confucius Institute program, featuring an essay by scholar Jennifer Hubbert and an interview with Confucius Institute Director-General Xu Lin; an analysis of U.S.-China military-to-military exchanges by scholars Thomas Hollihan and Zhan Zhang; reflections on China’s soft power assets including 'Panda Diplomacy’ and the internationally renowned Beijing Film Festival; and a photo gallery from the Shanghai World Expo. The popularity of Jon Stewart and the role of China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan in U.S.-China relations are also explored.

“Rising Soft Powers: China” is available for free download on CPD’s website. Click here to download the e-book for iPad and Nook (.epub) and Kindle (.mobi).