网络时代公共外交的两个模式

Two models of public diplomacy in the internet era

互联网扫清了公民信息获取和有效表达意见的时空限制,也把外交从幕后带到了台前。民众在网络时代的话语权是空前的,不受时间、地域、社会身份、家庭背景和教育程度的限制,这极大降低了公民参与公共事务决策的成本,使所谓的"民意"更容易被凝聚和体现。在网络时代,一国要在外交方面有所作为,不仅要争取外国政府,也要积极争取外国公众,公共外交因此被放到了一个更加重要的位置上。

The internet has removed the time and space constraints hindering people’s access to information and effective expression, taking diplomacy from something that happens behind the scenes onto the public stage. People in the internet era enjoy unprecedented rights of discourse, without any restrictions of time, space, social status, family background or educational level. This greatly reduces the cost for citizens to participate in decision-making regarding public affairs;thus, so-called 'public opinion' can be condensed and embodied more easily into any actions a country takes. If a country wants to make achievements in diplomacy, it has to win support not only from foreign governments, butalso from foreign citizens. Hence, public diplomacy has been placed in a more important position.