Power of Civil Diplomacy

People-to-people exchanges remain the best way to improve Sino-japanese ties

WThe author is a senior researcher on world studies and an op-ed contributor to Beijing Review ith both China and Japan making efforts to shift the focus of bilateral relations from competition to common development and prosperity, the bilateral relationship has seen steady improvement in 2018. Following Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Japan in May, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is visiting China from October 25 to 27, his first official trip in the nearly six years since he returned to power in December 2012.

Apart from changes in the international landscape, the thawing relationship between China and Japan is largely attributed to the constant people-to-people exchanges despite disputes over territorial and historical issues. Although some netizens from both countries are still posting inflammatory remarks on the Internet, SinoJapanese civil diplomacy has maintained a mainstream trend of rational communication. In the process, both sides have become increasingly aware that reducing confrontation, increasing cooperation and improving bilateral relations are in line with the fundamental interests of their people. The rising consensus in the civil societies of the two countries has undoubtedly put China-japan relations back on track.

In view of this, both sides will focus on non-governmental exchanges for promoting bilateral relationship. During his meeting with Abe in Vladivostok, Russia, on September 12, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that the two sides should carry forward the tradition of people-topeople exchanges and consolidate the social and public opinion foundation for bilateral ties. Abe, on his part, proposed that the two countries should expand mu- tual exchanges to more fields and improve their relations.

Expanding non- governmental exchanges is a goal in developing SinoJapanese relationship and also an essential approach. Against such a backdrop, the important role played by civil diplomatic activities such as the Beijing-tokyo Forum in boosting bilateral bonds in the new era is receiving greater attention. Founded in 2005, the annual forum opened in Tokyo on October 14. Hundreds of guests and organizational representatives from China and Japan attended the event, contributing ideas for a sound relationship between the two countries.

Means of modern diplomacy

Diplomacy generally refers to a government’s way of handling inter-state affairs, in line with the interests of its own people and winning public support. Therefore, civil communities assisting governments in bilateral interaction is common in modern diplomacy. In the 1950s, the Chinese Government proposed the concept of “civil diplomacy” since China had not established diplomatic relationships with other countries widely. As a result, semiofficial and civil organizations became an important force for China to engage with the international community. Since civil diplomacy focuses on people-to-people exchanges, China’s policy aims at introducing its national conditions and governmental policies. It also attaches importance to knowing the rest of the world through non-governmental exchanges. The core goal is to enhance mutual understanding, build trust and promote bilateral relations through civil exchanges.

Since the 1980s, the United States has also embraced public diplomacy. The core of the U.S. public diplomacy theory is to influence the public of other countries through a variety of means so as to make an impact on foreign governmental policies. During President Jimmy Carter’s term from 1977 to 1981, the International Development Cooperation Agency was established and the Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy was set up to advise and make recommendations on the U.S. government’s activities. The subsequent Ronald Reagan administration established the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and began to promote public diplomacy through non- governmental organizations, aiming to change the concepts of people from other countries and further influence their governments. After the end of the Cold War, the NED ignited the so-called color revolutions in many countries.

Chinese civil diplomacy is entirely different from U.S. public diplomacy.

In the 1990s, Track II diplomacy began to emerge in East Asia, parallel to the Track I diplomacy for official exchanges. Under Track II diplomacy, non- governmental organizations in specific fields organize in-depth discussions on sensitive issues under official guidance to support Track I diplomacy. These activities can also be deemed as part of civil diplomacy since they promote bilateral relationship and address multilateral issues by enhancing communication.