Chinese international students have become an increasingly visible presence around the globe, and interest in these students has consequently increased among universities, researchers, and policymakers, who often see international students as a source of increased soft power. This article questions the idea of Chinese international students as a soft-power tool. This is done through a critical discussion of the concept of soft power and the rather limited research on educational diplomacy, demonstrating that the analytical vagueness of the concept of soft power leads to an oversimplified understanding of the linkage between international students and soft power. In order to provide a more nuanced understanding of this linkage, the article examines the actual overseas experience of Chinese international students and argues that the linkage between international students and soft power is highly complicated and that these students do not necessarily constitute soft-power resources.
Understanding Chinese nationalism and national identity is of primary importance in comprehending the increasingly assertive role that a rising China plays on the global political scene. But "Chinese nationalism" is a very difficult concept to deal with due to differences in the Western and Chinese understandings of the term. This article attempts to bridge the gap by analyzing both Chinese and Western conceptualizations of the term and discussing the difference between patriotism and nationalism and their interchange in China today. The importance of nationalism/ patriotism in shaping modern Chinese society is also recognized by the Chinese state, that deliberately fosters patriotic sentiment among the young generation through the Patriotic Education Campaign. Material from this campaign is used to provide an important indication of the patriotic content of current Chinese state nationalism.
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