AN EXAMINATION OF CHINA’S SOFT POWER INSTRUMENTS

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 2, 213 - 224, 31.07.2023

Esra Sarıoğlu

https://doi.org/10.30692/sisad.1243944

Abstract

The concept of power has dramatically been important for people and communities in the historical scene. After the world wars and the cold war in the past, a different balance of power has emerged in the international arena. With the advancement of technology and the emergence of nuclear weapons, heavy losses have been given in wars. Countries tried to recover themselves and erase the traces of wars due to the heavy losses they inflicted. In this recovery process, we encounter soft power, which has become necessary as an alternative to military power. Today, actors have begun to regulate their policies following the concept of soft power and have framed what they want to achieve using this concept. The People's Republic of China, one of the major powers of the 21st century, has attached importance to the concept of soft power like other actors and has begun to include the instruments of soft power in its policies. China aims to maintain its global position and to continue its peaceful rise, which it expresses at every opportunity. Undoubtedly the essential element for these purposes is considered soft power. Looking at the history of China, the concept of soft power is not a new phenomenon; it is a concept that China has used frequently in the past. This research aims to examine how the People's Republic of China perceives Joseph Nye's concept of soft power and to examine China's soft power elements in the context of culture, foreign policy, and political values.

Keywords

Soft Power, China, Culture, Foreign Policy, Political Values.

Çin’in Yumuşak Güç Araçlarının İncelenmesi

Abstract

Tarihsel sahnede insanlar ve topluluklar için güç kavramı büyük bir önem arz etmiştir. Geçmişte yaşanan dünya savaşları ve soğuk savaşın ardından, uluslararası arenada farklı bir güç dengesi ortaya çıkmıştır. Teknolojinin ilerlemesi, nükleer silahların ortaya çıkması ile savaşlarda ağır kayıplar verilmiştir. Ülkeler, verdikleri ağır kayıplar neticesinde kendilerini toparlamaya ve savaşların izlerini silmeye çalışmışlardır. Bu toparlanma süreci içinde karşımıza askeri güce alternatif olarak önemli hale gelen yumuşak güç çıkmaktadır. Aktörler, günümüzde politikalarını yumuşak güç konseptine uygun olarak düzenlemeye başlamış ve elde etmek istediklerini bu kavramı kullanarak çerçevelendirmiştir. 21. Yüzyılın öne çıkan en önemli güçlerinden Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti de, diğer aktörler gibi yumuşak güç kavramına önem vermiş ve yumuşak gücün araçlarını politikalarına dahil etmeye başlamıştır. Çin, sahip olduğu küresel pozisyonunu korumayı ve her fırsatta dile getirdiği barışçıl yükselişini devam ettirmeyi amaç edinmiştir. Bu amaçlar için şüphesiz en önemli unsur, yumuşak güç olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Çin tarihine bakıldığında, yumuşak güç kavramı yeni bir olgu değil, geçmişte de Çin’in sıklıkla kullandığı bir kavramdır. Bu çalışmada, Joseph Nye'ın yumuşak güç kavramının Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti tarafından algılanışı ve Çin'in yumuşak güç unsurlarının kültür, dış politika ve siyasi değerler kapsamında ele alınması amaçlanmıştır.

Keywords

Yumuşak Güç, Çin, Kültür, Dış Politika, Siyasi Değerler

References

• ARIBOĞĞAN, ÜÜ. (2001). ÇÇin’in Göölgesinde Uzakdoğğu Asya. İİstanbul: Bağğlam Yayınları.
• CARR, E. H. (1962). The Twenty Years’ Crisis 1919-1939 (1939). An Introduction to the Study of International Relations. London: Macmillan.
• CHÉN, Y. (2007). Shì Lùn Quánqiú Huà Bèijǐng Xià Zhōngguó Ruǎn Shílì de Gòujiàn. Guójì Guānchá, (2), 8.
• CHÉN, Z. (2008). Zēngqiáng Zhōngguó Wénhuà Ruǎn Shílì Lùn Yào. Zhèjiāng Shèhuì Kēxué, (2), 87-92.
• CHÉN, Z. XUĒ, X. and HÉ, X. (2009). Xī Hǎiwài Huáqiáo Huárén Zài Tuīdòng Zhōngguó Ruǎn Shílì Xíngchéng hé Fāzhǎn Guòchéng Zhōng de Zuòyòng. Zhèjiāng Xué Kān, 6 (127), 14.
• China Cultural Industry Association, (2022, 06 December). http://www.chncia.org/en/about.php?mid=7#:~:text=replica%20watches%20uk%20China%20Cultural,in%20Ministry%20of%20Civil%20Affairs
• China Public Diplomacy Association. (2022, 01 December). http://www.chinapda.org.cn/eng/xhgk/xhjj/
• D’Hooghe. (2015). China’s Public Diplomacy. Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill.
• DOWDING, K. (2012). Why Should We Care About the Definition of Power?. Journal of Political Power, 5 (1), 119-135.
• FARAH, D. and MOSHER, A. (2010). Winds From the East. Washington, DC: Center for International Media Assistance.
• FOOT, R. (2014). ‘Doing Some Things’ in the Xi Jinping Era: The United Nations as China's Venue of Choice. International Affairs, 90 (5), 1085-1100.
• GIL, J. (2008). The Promotion of Chinese Language Learning and China‟s Soft Power. Asian Social Science. 4 (10), 116-122.
• GLASER, B. S. and MURPHY, M. E. (2009). Soft Power With Chinese Characteristics. Chinese Soft Power and its Implications for the United States, 10-26. GUO, S. (2007). Xīn guójì zhǔyì yǔ Zhōngguó ruǎn shílì wàijiāo. Guójì guānchá, (2), 43-52.
• HE, K. and FENG, H. (2014). China’s Bargaining Strategies for a Peaceful Rise: Successes and Challenges. Asian Security, 10 (2), 168-187.
• HONGHUA, M. (2007). An Evaluation of China’s Soft Power and Promotion Strategy. China’s Soft Power Strategy. https://chinacopyrightandmedia.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/outline-of-the-national-11th-five-year-plan-period-cultural-development-plan/
• Hu Jintao. (2006). Speech on the Eighth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, on November 10, 2006. (2022, 05 December). http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/22219/5026372.html
• HU, S. (1997). Confucianism and Western Democracy. Journal of Contemporary China, 6 (15), 347-363.
• HUANG, Y. and DING, S. (2006). Dragon’s Underbelly: An Analysis of China’s Soft Power. East Asia, 23 (4), 22-44.
• KALATHIL, S. (2011). China’s Soft Power in the Information Age: Think Again. Institute For the Study of Diplomacy, ISD Working Papers in New Diplomacy.
• KEOHANE, R. O. and NYE, J. S. (1987). Power and Interdependence Revisited. International Organization, 41 (4), 725-753.
• KURLANTZICK, J. (2007). Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power is Transforming the World. New York: Yale University Press.
• LI, X. and WORM, V. (2011). Building China’s Soft Power for a Peaceful Rise. Journal of Chinese Political Science, 16 (1), 69-89.
• MÉN, H. (2012). Zhōngguó Ruǎn Shílì Pínggū Bàogào. Guóqíng Bàogào (dì shí juǎn 2007 nián (shàng)), 15-26.
• NYE Jr, J. S. (1990). Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power. New York: Basic Books.
• NYE Jr, J. S. (2004). Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. New York: Public Affairs. Outline of the National “11th Five Year Plan” Period Cultural Development Plan. (2006). (2022, 01 December).
• PEKCAN, C. (2016). Çin’in Kültürel Diplomasisinin ‘Çin Tehdidi’ Algısının Kırılmasındaki Önemi. In International Conference on Eurasian Economies, 212-219.
• PLA Development Dteady and Peaceful, 2022. (2022, 01 December). http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/2022special/2022-08/01/content_10175182.html
• PREUSS, H. (2007). Signaling Growth: China’s Major Benefit From Staging the Olympics in Beijing 2008. Harvard Asia Pacific Review, 9 (1), 45-49.
• REESE, L. (2000). (2022, 01 December). Women as Cultural Emissaries: Consider Women as “Diplomat Brides”. Women in World History Curriculum: http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/essay-10-11.html
• SHAMBAUGH, D. (2015). China's Soft-Power Push: The Search for Respect. Foreign Affairs, 94 (4), 99-107.
• Shanghai Bureau of World Expo Coordination Executive 2010. (2022, 01 December). Expo announcement. Retrieved from http://www.Expo2010.cn/gfzygg/more.htm
• SNOW, E. (1968). Red Star Over China. 1938 (Rev. and enl. Ed). New York: Grove.
• TZU, S. (2008). The Art of War. In Strategic Studies (pp. 63-91). Routledge.
• WANG, Y. (1999). Zhongguo Dalu Guoji Zhengzhi Lilun Yanjiu de Ruogan Wenti (Reflections on the Studies of International Political Theory in Mainland China). East Asian Journal, 30 (3):71-90.
• WANG, Y. (2008). Public Diplomacy and the Rise of Chinese Soft Power. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 616 (1), 257-273.
• XI, J.P. (2014). Elevate Soft Power, Realize the Chinese Dream. People’s Daily.
• XİÀO, Y. and ZHĀNG, T. (2010). Zhōngguó Wénhuà Ruǎn Shílì Yánjiū De Huígù Yǔ Qiánzhān. Húnán Dàxué Xuébào (shèhuì kēxué bǎn), (1), 12-17.
• ZHANG, J. (2015). China's New Foreign Policy Under Xi Jinping: Towards ‘Peaceful Rise 2.0’?. Global Change, Peace & Security, 27 (1), 5-19.
• ZHĀNG, X. and LUŌ J. (2008). Zhōngguó Ruǎn Shílì de Pínggū Yǔ Fāzhǎn Lùjìng. Guójì lùntán, (5), 24-29.
• ZHANG, Y. (2000). The 'English School in China: a Story of How Ideas Travel and are Transplanted.
• ZHÀO, L. (2007). Lǐjiě Zhōngguó Ruǎn Shílì de Sān Gè Wéidù: Wénhuà Wàijiāo, Duōbiān Wàijiāo, Duìwài Yuánzhù Zhèngcè. Shèhuì Kēxué Lùntán, (5), 150-157.
• ZHAO, S. (2012). China's Foreign Policy as a Rising Power in the Early Twenty-First Century. China's Soft Power and International Relations, 195-197.
• ZHU, M. (2002). The Role of Soft Power in International Relations. Cultural Impact on International Relations. Washington, DC: The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy.