Beyond China's public diplomacy

It is interesting to note how an emerging power’s arrival on the world stage generates an unprecedented media attention, and the innovative steps the country itself takes to promote its culture and voice to the world.

The Economist now devotes a special section on China - carving it out from the Asia section. The newspaper says for the first time in 70 years, it has devoted a section on a country (the United States was last to be included in 1941). Likewise all international media has a section on China (some also on India).

And why not: an interactive map comparing Chinese provinces with countries on the Economist website shows the country’s economic might: For example, Guangdong's GDP (at market exchange rates) is almost as big as Indonesia's; the output of both Jiangsu and Shandong exceeds Switzerland’s. Shanghai’s GDP per person is as high as Saudi Arabia’s (at purchasing-power parity), the poorest province, Guizhou, has an income per head close to that of India.

A student in Confucius institute

It is not that the world has suddenly taken interest on China. Over the last decade China has invested large amounts on public diplomacy to educate the world about Chinese culture. It has established 356 Confucius institutes in fifty different countries. In the UK alone there are ten.  This is at the back of huge aid and foreign investment in dolls out to other developing countries particularly in Africa.

On the digital sphere, China Central Television (CCTV) is increasingly expanding its global operation. Reports say Chinese state broadcaster is looking to increase its overseas staff by tenfold by 2016, and aims expand its audience base in Africa with English-language services produced in Washington and Nairobi .At the heart of operations will be six hubs: two probably in London and Dubai and others in South America and the Asia Pacific region. I have been watching CCTV in the UK, and must admit their reports are world class.

This is not just a state initiative.  A host of Chinese private channels have registered themselves in London to reach out to the Chinese diasporas across Europe.  However, close sources say that they are yet to see any dividends on their investment.

CCTV HQ in Beijing

On another front, Chinese second tier cities have embarked on global promotion and branding exercise to allure foreign investments and tourist particularly from Europe and the US. The city of Chengdu frequently run adverts on CNN , but also has an ambitious plan for a worldwide promotion which includes inviting international film starts, hosting a friendly English premier league football match and organizing an economic forum probably in London. Through a London based media company they are promoting the city by using classic panda pictures on 150 London taxis!


All these are really admirable initiatives and show the strong appetite of the Chinese to be right on the top. I remember listening to Professor Jonathan Spence, sterling Professor of History at Yale University and is recognised as one of the foremost scholars of Chinese civilisation on Reith Lectures a few years back. In the concluding part of a four series lecture on China, he talked about ‘Li Yang movement’. He said, Li Yang, a charismatic teacher had opened thousands of English language schools in China. 

 He demanded that his students shout every English word learnt to get over any fear of not  able to interact with  foreigners.  Professor Spence felt it is this shouting of English which probably has helped to equalize the sense of nervousness about coming and studying abroad. Li Yang’s banner read ‘conquer English to make China stronger’ – not surprised: most of my classmates in my master’s programme in Scotland were infact Chinese students.

The role of the BBC World Service in our lives

This week Suti focuses on the BBC…

The BBC world service last month confirmed plans to close five of its 32 World Service language services. According to Mr Thompson, the director general of the BBC, the cuts were necessary due to last autumn’s Spending Review. The recent plans will effectively end the radio programming in seven languages – Azeri (the official language of Azerbaijan), Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish (for Cuba), Turkish, Vietnamese and Ukrainian.  Though personally not affected, I do share the grief of the regular listeners of the BBC in the above languages.

My association with the BBC dates back to the early days of my childhood. As a child growing up in a public boarding school in India, listening to the BBC world service news was a part of our daily routine. We had to listen to the BBC world news before breakfast. It didn’t really matter whether we understood global affairs or not, but the house master, like most of the teachers, felt listening to the BBC was absolutely necessary to improve our English!

As the Indian media boomed in the mid 1990s bringing along a plethora of private English and other language news channels, the BBC radio service’s popularity dwindled. However, the BBC radio service remained intimately strong with the older generation. I remember my neighbour, a lanky old fellow who would listen to the world service news on his crackling transistor that he has been using for half a century.  He would often proudly say how the BBC was the first one to broadcast the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister in 1984, hours before the Indian media did. Clearly for a man who probably never moved out of his home state, the BBC shaped his vision of the world and global events throughout his life.

As I grew up and went to the university to study journalism, the BBC remained for me and my friends a model for its credible editorial and impartial news. We thought the simplicity of the BBC website and its adaptation of other aspects of the digital are simply remarkable.

In a global context, the BBC has also been a powerful tool for public diplomacy over the world and played a very important role for millions in shaping outlook and perception of some of the universal values like democracy, freedom and human rights. The BBC regional services get into territories and bring amazing human interest stories which otherwise in many countries are not reported by the domestic media. The BBC world service is not just about news and current affairs, its programmes spans across  global art, cultures, science, technology, music  and literature that stimulate intellectual discussions  and deeply  enriches our view of the world.

The other day I  took part in a discussion with someone, who argued that the BBC still suffers from the colonial hangover and tries to impose its views on the world.  Perceptions about news might differ from person to person, and now living in Britain; I have a better understanding about the organisation and the controversies surrounding it. However, I still believe that the BBC World Service gives good insight to some of the pressing issues of the world and it remains one of the most trusted organisations for news for many around the globe.

At a time, when countries like China are investing millions in international English channel, the BBC   should ensure the World Service remains an articulate and powerful voice  for free and independent reporting and be the collective voice of shared universal principles  in the world. Credibility is the key to the BBC’S success and it must ensure that it continues to enhance that.