Cultural Diplomacy and Internationalization of Higher Education:The Experience of Three Confucius Institutes in Canada

This paper is based on a study of three Confucius Institutes in Canada.The research aims to explore the nature of operations at Confucius Institutes,ranging from the selection of partnering Chinese universities,to the program planning at each individual site.Specifically,it focuses on the perceived impacts of the Confucius Institute partnership on the Canadian hosting institutions.Data was collected through interviews with key administrative staff from three Canadian universities.The theoretical framework of constructivism from international relations theory and concepts drawn from the literature on the internationalization of higher education were used to analyze the findings.Key issues revealed from the data include the host’s perception of Confucius Institutes as China’s cultural diplomacy and soft power strategy,the progression of partnerships between Canada and China over time,and university autonomy.

Bright Prospect in Public Diplomacy and People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges for Local Foreign Affairs Office

The report of the 18th National Congress of the CPC for the first time put forward that "We will take solid steps to promote public diplomacy as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges",and has elevated public diplomacy and people-topeople and cultural exchanges to the status of consolidating the social foundation for state-tostate relations,which highlights the

Artwork Diplomacy A Chinese art lover and museum curator promotes cultural exchanges between China and Africa

Within the walls of the Interna tional Museum of African Art （IMAA）. thousands of artworks from many African tribes are preserved and exhibited, including wood, stone and bronze carvings, pottery, clothing,jewelry and paintings, among others.

China’s Cultural and Public Diplomacy to Countries in the Middle East

Recently,China’s cultural and public diplomacy has aroused the increasing attention of the international community.As a political power,its cultural and public diplomacy mode has had a positive influence on many countries in the world.Through three main waves of the cultural exchanges between the Middle East and P.R.China,this article further summarizes the successful experience of new China’s cultural and public diplomacy model to Asia,Africa and Latin America.In the theoretical and practical level,it explains the basic model of cultural and public diplomacy:at the theoretical level and advocates the concept that government and people participate in it simultaneously,and countries coexist in harmony and peace.In the practical level,we maintain that cultural and public exchange and cooperation from a“multi-level,multi-track,and multi-field”,thus has promoted China’s post-Olympic era of cultural and public diplomacy.Finally,in ambassadors meeting held in August 2009,President Hu Jintao made an important speech on the implication of cultural and public diplomacy;the article summarizes four advices of constructing cultural and public diplomacy with Chinese characteristics.

The path,value and limits of the Confucius Institute in carrying out public diplomacy

On the basis of Chinese language teaching and cultural communication activities,the Confucius Institute carries out a variety of cultural exchange activities between China and the host country,which has become an effective way for China to carry out public diplomacy and participate in global cultural governance.By analysing the concepts of public diplomacy,cultural diplomacy,people-to-people exchange and cultural governance,this paper summarises three typical paths of Confucius Institutes in carrying out public diplomacy:‘from the government to foreign nationals’,‘from the government to Chinese citizens and then to foreign nationals’,and‘from the government to foreign nationals and then to foreign nationals’.The value of the Confucius Institute in carrying out public diplomacy is reflected on the level of national diplomacy,international exchange and global governance.Furthermore,the capability of the Confucius Institute as a language and cultural communication institution initiated by China and in cooperation with other countries in carrying out public diplomacy is limited.This limitation,on one hand,originates from the nature of the Confucius Institute as a language and cultural communication organisation,and on the other hand,is related to the difficulties and challenges that China faces in its participation in global governance.Public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy are based on national interests.They also transcend national interests and,furthermore,become a way for a country to actively participate in global cultural governance.The experience of and challenges faced by the Confucius Institute can have important implications for China in participating in global cultural governance.

Enhancing China＇s National Image Through Culture Festivals： A Case Study of China Culture Years in Europe

Since the mid-2000s, the PRC has increasingly focused on pursuing cultural diplomacy abroad to improve its national image and enhance cultural soft power. Although China＇s cultural ＂Charm Offensive＂ has not gone unnoticed, a variety of specific activities have not been subject to research so far. This paper, therefore, attempts to fill this research gap by analyzing Chinese state-level cultural diplomacy through a comparative case study of three China Culture Year events held in France （2004）, Italy （2010）, and Germany （2012）. These findings are subsequently compared to the China Culture Year in Australia （2012）, thereby allowing the identification of spatial variations. I argue that the Chinese government applies a general approach of organizing the events abroad by making use of local institu- tions. At the same time, through the strategic selection of events, the festivals portray distinct national images that transmit particular narratives of self-presentation to the European audience and take into account country-specific preferences.

On the Strategic Relationship between China and Islamic Countries in the Middle East

The relationship between China and the Islamic countries has been of strategic significance;mutual understanding and mutual respect in their political ties has been the mainstream in the bilateral relationship.Since the founding of new China,their relationship has undergone two phases:from bilateral to multilateral relations and from mainly in the political field to comprehensive ties in the economic and trade,resources,security,culture and other fields.For future development of bilateral relationships,issues such as misjudgment and misunderstanding,trade imbalance and conflicts of interest must be resolved.To do so,strategic significance must be attached to bilateral relationships so as to uplift the strategic position of the Middle East in the overall Chinese diplomacy,establish a Middle East strategy with Chinese characteristics and strengthen China's cultural diplomacy including religious communication with the Islamic countries in the Middle East.