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"GFJ Commentary"
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"GFJ Commentary" presents views of members and friends of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
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Public Diplomacy Reconsidered
By CHINO Keiko
Journalist
Media in and outside Japan reports that the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) called on U.S. universities that had invited to establish "Confucius Institutes" in their campuses to reexamine the validity of such establishments. The reason is that the recruitment of academic staff and the choice of curriculum are influenced by the intentions of the Chinese government, and the integrity of academic freedom is sacrificed thereby. Canada also is faced with a similar situation. There is no point in asserting that we knew from the beginning that this would happen. Ever since the first Confucius Institute was established in Seoul in 2004, the institute has grown in number at a furious pace across the globe, now counting more than 4000. Therefore, the above U.S. action is quite welcome to us and it is earnestly hoped that a brake would be put on such a trend. Any courses on China should be run, with academic integrity and independence fully maintained.
In principle, when establishing a Confucius Institute, academic staff and textbooks are provided by Chinese authorities and the receiving university provides the venue. This is an astute approach as if to emulate the way fast-food restaurants or coffee shops expand their chains. And this is a blessing offer to universities who cannot afford to run courses on China on their own, while China could gain access to academia of other countries with ease. There were some who highly praised China, which had expanded chains of Confucius Institute across the globe from western countries to Asia, Africa and South Pacific, saying that this is an epitome China's "image strategy," "soft power" or "triumph of public diplomacy." Besides, it has once become a fashion to criticize Japan for its backwardness in promoting public diplomacy in comparison with China.
But is it really so? Even if you win over somebody by image, he or she will eventually leave unless you have substantial quality. The phrase "public diplomacy" was coined in the U.S. back in the 1960s. But it was not until after the 9.11 terrorist attacks in 2001 that the idea gained wide attention even in the U.S. The U.S. had to address the pressing task of vying with anti-U.S. band as well as enlarging the number of Tomodachies (friends) of the U.S. Also in U.K., "Panel 2000 Task Force" was established under the Blair administration with an aim to elevate the brand value of U.K. As for China, having been isolated from the international community because of the Tiananmen Square incident in which pro-democracy demonstrators were cracked down, it faced an urgent need to recover the confidence of the rest of the world.
In short, behind the background of the rise of public diplomacy was in varying degrees a negative aspect of the promoting country. I do not mean to deny the need of Japan to promote public diplomacy because of this. However, sugarcoating or false advertising would sooner or later betray itself. Confucius Institute is a wrong example to the axiom that public diplomacy will only do when it has proper substance.
(This is the English translation of an article written by CHINO Keiko, Journalist, which originally appeared on the e-Forum "Giron-Hyakushutsu" of GFJ on June 23, 2014.)
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For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/commentary/backnumber.html
No.55 New Putin Doctrine: Prelude to "New Cold War"?
by IIJIMA Kazutaka, Journalist
(26 June 2014)
No.54 "The Ideal of Soft Power Diplomacy for a Liberal International Order"
by SAKAI Nobuhiko, Director of Japan Institute of Nationalism Studies and former Professor of the University of Tokyo
(31 March 2013)
No.53 "The Sino-Korean anti-Japanese Axis on Yasukuni Failed"
by WATANABE Yasushi, Professor, Keio University
(18 April 2014)
No.52 "Sanctity of Marriage"
by WATANABE Shoichi, Professor Emeritus, Sophia University
(27 December 2014)
No.51 "Strategic Possibilities for Japan's Agriculture"
by SHIMADA Haruo, Opinion Leader Governor, GFJ / President, Chiba University of Commerce
(25 October 2013)
No.50 "The Arrival of a New Era for the Japan-Africa Relations?"
by MUTSUJI Shoji, Lecturer, Yokohama City University
(16 August 2013)
"GFJ Updates"
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"GFJ Updates" introduces to you the latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.
Event
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The 268th "Foreign Policy Luncheon" meeting on "The Results of Abenomics and Its Future Developments" Held
GFJ and its two sister organizations, The Japan Forum on International Relations and the Council on East Asian Community monthly organizes a "Foreign Policy Luncheon" meeting to provide an occasion for members of the three organizations to meet in an informal and confidential manner with senior officials of the Japanese Government and/or other experts and specialists in fields related to international relations. The 268th "Foreign Policy Luncheon" meeting on the topic of "The Results of Abenomics and Its Future Developments" was held on 3 September 2014. The keynote speaker was IWATA Kazumasa, President, Japan Center for Economic Research.
His views are as follows:
http://www.gfj.jp/e/roundtables/268_140903.htm
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