chinese public diplomacy
In this video, The First Lady of China, Peng Liyuan congratulates the naming of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s giant panda cub. The First Lady gives a warm thanks to the Smithsonian for their shared love pandas. She states, “For over thirty years China and the United States have carried out a lot of successful cooperation in panda protection. May the friendship between the Chinese and American people grow even stronger!”
Over the past decade there has been a near universal surge of interest in public diplomacy. Yet, as more nations venture into the PD realm it is becoming increasingly clear that understandings of PD concepts and practices are anything but universal. One area where different views are emerging is the role of the public. Who is the “public” in public diplomacy?
What should be included in China's public diplomacy? Can China's public diplomacy produce results? What kind of effect will it have on the average person? The answers to these questions have become increasingly important in today's public opinion-led world.
On numerous levels, the United States continues to fall farther behind China in public diplomacy. This is yet another indication that for all its protestations about its commitment to reach out to foreign publics, the U.S. government is unwilling to commit the resources needed to do so effectively.