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Public Diplomacy In The Era Of Globalization

Posted on:2010-03-16Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:D F LiFull Text:PDF
GTID:1116360278474220Subject:International politics
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Diplomacy is the most important and effective tool to deal with international relations peacefully.Since human society entered the age of civilization,diplomacy has become the main method to settle conflicts and promote cooperation.However,in different context of international community,diplomacy shows different content,form and effect.For instance,in ancient society,the lagged productive force decided that the military conquest and the looting of property were the norm of international relations as well as the auxiliary function and status of diplomacy.However,with the increasing economic interdependence among nations in modern society,the method to gain power by war has become increasingly difficult because of the higher and higher costs.In this condition,the economic and cultural channels have become important methods to gain power.Thereby,the peaceful nature of diplomacy has risen today.Likewise,it was hardly to evolve the form of Summit diplomacy in the era of laggard traffic and communications.But now with the deepening of international communication,the Public begins to play the role of ambassador.In other words,the content and forms of diplomacy and the theory of foreign policy have changed as the time goes by.Realpolitik(power politics) brings about the diplomatic notions of "strength guaranteeing peace" and "no diplomacy in feeble nations" as well as the traditional forms of diplomacy such as "secret diplomacy" and "balance diplomacy".On the contrary,Noopolitik(notion politics) brings about the diplomatic notions of "public opinion guaranteeing peace" and "there's diplomacy in feeble nations" as well as the new diplomatic forms such as Public diplomacy,Cultural diplomacy,etc.In other words,with information,reputation and notion becoming vital national power sources and national image becoming vital national interest, the aims of obtaining the understanding and the support of international public opinion, winning the "war of ideas" and further acquiring favorable national image,national reputation and legitimacy in international community have become the highest pursuit of national foreign policy.Public diplomacy is a new theory and form of diplomacy promoted by globalization. Globalization has provided the prerequisite for the development of public diplomacy.On one hand,globalization has enhanced the economic,political,social connection worldwidely, created lots of non-state actors,propelled the transition from "international politics" to "world politics" and leaded the gradual extinction of traditional national boundary.These changes of international community will inevitably bring about the changes of diplomatic notion and forms.Democratization and openness of diplomacy has become the important tendency of morden diplomacy.On the other hand,with the expansion of globalization,more and more publics participate in the progress of globalization.In this progress,the public pay close attention to international affairs and begin to participate international affairs actively.At the same time,rapid and immediate information transmission provides convenience for the public to obtain,send out and exchange information.The ability of the public to intervene in national policy has been promoted greatly.So how to come into contact with the public in the era of globalization,how to gain the understanding and support of the public,and how to get help from the public to advance national image and reputation have become the vital issues of diplomacy for nations.In other words,globalization has extended the meaning of diplomacy,changed the content of diplomacy,advanced the democratization and openness process of diplomacy and provided more channels to modern diplomacy.Media diplomacy,Cyber diplomacy,Nation-branding,International public relations have become important diplomacy forms.In short,Public diplomacy which bears the major contents of information communication,education and cultural exchange is charged with the duty to obtain the understanding and support of foreign publics and public opinior, enhance mutual trust,advance national image,construct national identity and achieve and safeguard national interest in the end.The earliest activities of Public diplomacy can be traced back to the ancient time.But the global rise of Public diplomacy is the result of notion and reputation becoming vital national power advanced by globalization.Since the 1960s and 1970s,Public diplomacy has been developing gradually all over the world with the promotion of the globalization movement. Public diplomacy was the important tool for great powers to export their culture and to make ideological confrontation.Especially since the 1990s,as the globalization movement entered the age of information,Public Diplomacy has been developped rapidly.Nowadays,not only main powers but also middle-sized and small nations bring Public diplomacy into the scope of native diplomatic strategy.Each country not only fairly perfects organization structure and administrative organization but also establishes legal,financial and institutional guarantee system.As the practice of Public diplomacy carries out,some limitations and defects Of Public diplomacy also emerge,such as the difficulty to model and remodel national image,the difficulty to establish cultural identity,and the difficulty to deal with the relations between Public diplomacy and foreign policy.In the post-ll September international enviroment, Public diplomacy activities emerge some new features and tendency.Firstly,all kinds of NGOs,interest groups,multinational corporations,individuals and mass media who participate into globalization have become the effective actors of Public diplomacy.Secondly, information transmission network and intemet technology promoted by globalization and information technology revolution have expanded methods of Public diplomacy.With the interdependence level of nations increased,International public relations,Sports diplomacy and Aid diplomacy also become important tools of Public diplomacy.Thirdly,convergence between domestic and global politics caused by globalization has promoted the convergence between Public diplomacy aimed to foreign publics and Public affairs aimed to domestic publics.Nowadays,Public diplomacy has been given a new meaning and requirements by the developing globalization.Namely,as a nation-state,it must make international community coming to understand itself,gain understanding and support of international public opinion and model favourable national image,gain legitimacy,and achieve international identity and cooperation.Furthermore,the evolution of globalization has offered opportunity and challenge to Public diplomacy which will lead Public diplomacy become an important diplomatic theory and form in the 21st century.
Keywords/Search Tags:Public Diplomacy, Globalization, the Public, National Image
PDF Full Text Request
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