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

Abstract

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 institutions. 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.

A review of the current state of research on China’s international image management

“…While such instruments receive some academic attention, concrete studies considering the image management dimension are scarce (Bislev, 2017;Yun, 2015). The same is true for the very few accounts analyzing Chinese Culture Centers Abroad (Zhang & Guo, 2018), China Culture Years Abroad (Maags, 2014), and the role of sports (Zhang, 2012).…”

Challenges and Opportunities in the Teaching of the National Image of China in General Education Courses in Chinese University — An International Media Communication Study from the Perspective of the “Belt And Road” Initiative

“…The cultural difference is another challenge for students to realize China's national image with a global perspective. The "Belt and Road" connects the Asian and European continents, where cultures are different in many aspects [5]. The national icon of China for instance, is widely acknowledged as "Long" in Chinese culture, which represents authority, convergence and is viewed as an auspicious omen; the same icon on the other hand, is interpreted as "dragon" internationally, which in western culture is the symbol of evil and peril.…”