CHINA'S PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IN THE US: LESSONS FOR PAKISTAN

Abstract

Revolution in the means of communication has made a profound impact on the conduct of public diplomacy worldwide. Communication is now seen as an important component public diplomacy to ascertain how governments interact with foreign publics in pursuit of their objectives. Countries fully recognize that new media and technologies are crucial to present their stories to the global audience. As an emerging power, China has been proactively expanding its presence in the global communication landscape. China has pronounced ‘Going Global’ strategy, which is supported by the internationalization of Chinese media and ubiquitous presence at the social media platforms. China’s international communication strategy has been aimed at increasing cultural soft power to influence foreign publics. This paper is an attempt to understand China’s communication strategy in the public diplomacy sphere with particular reference to the US. The major influence behind China’s communication strategy is two fold; first is to dispel negative connotations attached with the rise of China or ‘China Threat’, and secondly, to improve relations with the US through public diplomacy. For Pakistan, public diplomacy and external communication have been a neglected area of research. A comprehensive public diplomacy strategy and effective external communication approach could be instrumental for Pakistan to improve its image among the foreign audience and present a positive image of the country.

Bibliography Entry

Zubair, Bilal, and Nazir Hussain. 2020. "China’s Public Diplomacy and Communication Strategy in the US: Lessons for Pakistan." Margalla Papers 24 (2): 57-70.