4 (2016): 655-680. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viw007 9 Still in March 2018, a bill was sent for debate in Congress which might have repercussions on CIs. states that soft power theory was included in Chinas national strategy during the Hu Jintao (2003-2013) and the Xi Jinping (2013 to present day) eras. 8 This impressive three-position leap reflects the countrys commitment to soft power in recent years. [] Instead, China has saved the world in 2012 and The Martian. 2 Liu (2017)Liu, X. Constructive journalism: a new journalistic paradigm of Chinese media in Africa. In, Yuan, Z., J. Guo, and H. Zhu. https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12078 3 (2016): 334-356. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0920203X16672167, Hayot, E. Interview with Elizabeth Redden: another Confucius Institute to close. Inside Higher Ed , October 1, 2014. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/10/01/another-confucius-institute-close. Oxford: Reuter Institute, 2014. 1 (2014): 110-126. The Chinese government has recognized the need to improve Chinas image in order to strengthen its presence worldwide. What is a case study and what is it good for? American Political Science Review 98, no. This shared history with China paved the way for growing collaboration efforts between UMD and the Asian country through various actions, among other, the Maryland China Initiative (currently Office of China Affairs), and the Confucius Institute at the University of Maryland (CIM). (Thesis PhD in philosophy, Department of Political Science, George Mason University, 2017). London: Routledge, 2015. 2 (2014): 329-349. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12078 He claimed that, with more than 100 institutes, there is enough experience to evaluate how these organizations interact with North American academia and, considering that there are no reports of widespread problems and abuses, it seems these worries are unfounded.

(thesis PhD in philosophy, School of Museum Studies University of Leicester, 2015). London: Routledge, 2018. ) 8. ed. The article entitled The University of Maryland and China: A Shared History stated that ever since then, UMD has been instrumental in the strengthening of U.S.-China relations, among others, through the promotion of Chinese culture and values in different academic fora in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, as well as hosting the famous matches of Ping Pong Diplomacy in 1972, in Cole Field House. 13 ), as well as a key resource for state power ( Glaser and Murphy 2009Glaser, B. S., M. E. Murphy. For Kokas (2017)Kokas, A. Hollywood made in China . Xiao (2017Xiao, Y. The consequences of Confucius Institutes: understanding the opposition . Unlike other sectors analyzed in this article, the Chinese film industry has assets that allow it a more privileged international stance. According to Zhang (2017)Zhang, G. Research outline for Chinas cultural soft power . This eludes the idea of power of influence, unlike the constant mentioning of Chinas soft power.

This is due to the fact that, as seen in the case study, the United States, perceptions of Chinese cultural diplomacy are still unclear and erratic. ). ); and the use of cultural diplomacy to ensure cultural security and domestic coherence ( Glaser and Murphy 2009Glaser, B. S., M. E. Murphy. 1 (2014): 110-126. ; Hartig 2015Hartig, F. Chinese public diplomacy: the rise of the Confucius Institute . ). ; Yanqiu and Matingwina 2016Yanqiu, Z., S. Matingwina. 2 (2011): 7-24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02560046.2011.552203 Ross, R., A. I. Johnston. 4 (2015): 400-418. states that although the expansion and internationalization of the Chinese media was effectuated in order to tell the Chinese story to the world and diminish the difference between its self-image and the worlds perception of China, paradoxically, Chinese actions became a new source of anxiety for the West. This was empirically confirmed by Hubbert (2014)Hubbert, J. Co-production between Chinese studios and Hollywood has become increasingly common: between 2002 and 2013, 41 films were co-produced ( Thussu 2018Thussu, D. K. Globalization of the Chinese Media: the global context. In Chinas media go global , edited by D. K. Thussu, H. Burgh, and A. Shi. Thussu, D. K. Globalization of the Chinese Media: the global context. In Chinas media go global , edited by D. K. Thussu, H. Burgh, and A. Shi. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.

In order to protect this market, China imposed a system of quotas that limits the number of big-budget foreign films to 34 a year ( Kokas 2017Kokas, A. Hollywood made in China . Constructive journalism: a new journalistic paradigm of Chinese media in Africa. In Chinas media and soft power in Africa , edited by Z. Xiaoling, H. Wasserman, and W. Mano. Confucius Institutes: hardly a threat to academic freedoms., More scrutiny for Confucius Institutes: one to close., On partnerships with foreign governments: the case of Confucius Institutes., Over recent years, the Confucius Institutes development has been sharp, Peterson, R. Outsourced to China: Confucius Institutes and soft power in American higher education: a report by the National Association of Scholars., Rabinovitch, S. The rise of an image-conscious China.. 4 (2015): 400-418. ; Hartig 2016Hartig, F. How China understands public diplomacy: the importance of national image for national interests. International Studies Review 18, no. The internationalization of Chinese media was intense. Yuan, Z., J. Guo, and H. Zhu. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2016. ); a more pragmatic rhetoric when it comes to the use of culture as an instrument of power ( Hartig 2016Hartig, F. How China understands public diplomacy: the importance of national image for national interests. International Studies Review 18, no. According to the article, Xu Lin supposedly told the universitys administration that, if they wanted to terminate their contract with CI, she would concur. ; Glaser and Murphy 2009Glaser, B. S., M. E. Murphy. It has been demonstrated that facing the difference between Chinas self-image and how the world perceives the country is the most important raison dtre in the effort to promote Chinese cultural soft power ( Sun 2015Sun, W. Slow boat from China: public discourses behind the going global media policy. International Journal of Cultural Policy 21, no. The bill would also compel universities to divulge donations from foreign entities that surpassed US$ 50 thousand (currently, universities only divulge investments above US$ 250 thousand and, as mentioned before, in most cases, Hanban invests between US$ 100 thousand and US$ 150 thousand in the CIs). , along with large investments ( Thussu 2018Thussu, D. K. Globalization of the Chinese Media: the global context. In Chinas media go global , edited by D. K. Thussu, H. Burgh, and A. Shi. Confucius Institutes and the limitations of Chinas global cultural network. China Information 30, no. ). 17 Chinese Cultural Diplomacy: instruments in Chinas strategy for international insertion in the 21st Century. According to Zhenjie Yuan, Junwanguo Guo and Hong Zhu (2016), with the exception of Africa and Oceania, the view on China deteriorated in the last decade, especially in Asia, Europe, and North America. Due to its presence in universities, it was even suggested that CIs represented a risk for academic freedom and freedom of expression. In this environment of growing debate on CIs, a petition in the University of Chicago was launched demanding the contract with the local CI not being renewed, which should take place in 2014. https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viw007 Bristol: Blue Ridge Summit, 2017. When questioned on sensitive topics such as Tibet and Tiananmen, some teachers interacted with students and showed them their perspectives; and, in order to bypass sensitive issues and find common interest points with students, they focused on ordinary issues, such as visits to shopping malls. As a result of the augmented value of culture in soft power, the term is gradually being substituted by cultural soft power, whereas culture then would include values of Marxism and socialism as Chinese characteristics, as well as elements of Western culture transformed and adapted to Chinas cultural system ( Kong 2015Kong, D. Imaging China: Chinas cultural diplomacy through loan exhibitions to British museums. ). New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016. China to promote cultural soft power., Xiao, Y. ). That same year in September, Xu Lin, Hanban s Director-General, gave an interview to a Chinese newspaper, in which she mentioned, among other subjects, the petition in the University of Chicago. ), therefore attracting Hollywood and other global players attention ( Kokas 2018Kokas, A. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktake 7 14 Debate in Brookings Institution, March 07, 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/fp_20180307_us_china_transcript.pdf New House bills take aim at foreign propaganda. Foreign Policy, March 20, 2018. http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/20/new-house-bill-takes-aim-at-foreign-propaganda-russia-today-foreign-agent-manafort-fara/, McCord, E. A. 2014Levine, S., M. Mecacci, M. Hill, Z. Daojiong, S. E. Hanson, and M. Gallagher The debate over Confucius Institutes in the United States. Foreign Policy, July 11, 2014. http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/11/the-debate-over-confucius-institutes-in-the-united-states/ Chinas soft power: a New York Times introduction of the Confucius Institute., Congress of United States.Confucius Institute Letter to Texas Colleges Universities and Other Educational Institutions. As for their function, CIs are focused on teaching the Chinese language and culture, providing cultural and educational exchange programs and strengthening ties with other nations, as well as promoting multiculturalism and building a more harmonious world. 2 (2014): 329-349. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12078 Zhang, X., Z. Guo. Subsequently, the University of West Florida stated it would not renew its contract with its CI, a decision that stemmed from the programs revision, as the university was not receiving adequate return for its students interests. ); a more central role played by the state in actions of cultural diplomacy which has more control over the narratives that will be disseminated abroad, and will decide what goes into the country ( Shambaugh 2015Shambaugh, D. Chinas soft-power push: the search for respect. Foreign Affairs , July/August, 2015. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2015-06-16/china-s-soft-power-push , when teachers acted outside the strict script defined by Hanban , students could identify with them and deconstruct their predefined notions of China. Si, S. Expansion of international broadcasting: the growing global reach of China Central Television . Soft power with Chinese characteristics. In Chinese soft power and its implications for the United States: competition and cooperation in the developing world: a report of the CSIS smart power initiative , edited by C. McGiffert, 10-26. In early February, Republican Senator from Florida Marco Rubio wrote a letter to four universities in his state asking them to close down their CIs, since they were supposedly part of an aggressive Chinese campaign to repress the freedom of research and to subvert liberties 16 The conclusion is that China increasingly used cultural diplomacy and turned it into a key instrument in its strategy for international insertion. ; Kong 2015Kong, D. Imaging China: Chinas cultural diplomacy through loan exhibitions to British museums. More scrutiny for Confucius Institutes; one to close. 2018, Still, in February 2018, FBIs director Christopher Wray, in a hearing at the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, stated that North American academia was nave regarding the risks that Chinese teachers and academics represented. ), these outlets have been partially successful. ). Yang, S. X.

Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006. ; Ding 2008Ding, S. The dragons hidden wings: how China rises with its soft power . Chinas cultural projection: a discussion of the Confucius Institutes., Glaser, B. S., M. E. Murphy.

). Attention to the countrys international image has been one of the driving forces of Chinas foreign policy ( Ross and Johnston 2006Ross, R., A. I. Johnston. He highlights that, among the sources of influences Nye pointed out, culture has a particularly important role for China ( Sweet 2017Sweet, D. L. The art of winning hearts and minds: explaining divergent outcomes of Confucius Institutes in the US . 5 Confucius institutes: multiple reactions and interactions. China: An International Journal 12, no.

Berlin: Stiftung Mercator GmbH, 2012. Ding, S. The dragons hidden wings: how China rises with its soft power . ); China Radio International (CRI) broadcasts in 65 languages, and is the second largest radio organization in the world, only behind BBC Radio ( Yang 2018Yang, S. X. 4 (2016): 655-680. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viw007 Ambiguous states: Confucius Institutes and Chinese soft power in the US classroom. PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review 37, no. https://thediplomat.com/2014/03/confuciu David Shambaugh (2018)Shambaugh, D. The end of U.S. engagement with China? ). Xinhua News Agency currently has 180 international offices therefore surpassing Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France Press (AFP) with more than 3 thousand correspondents and locally recruited employees, publications in eight languages (Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, and Japanese), as well as audio, video, and photography programming 24 hours a day ( Zhou and Wu 2018Zhou, Q., Y. Wu. (Thesis PhD in philosophy, Department of Political Science, George Mason University, 2017). However, as McCord (2014)McCord, E. A. Chinas cultural soft power was studied in Confucius Institutes in the U.S.. 13 https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/upl The Foreign Influence Transparency Act of 2018 demanded the CIs and other entities that promote foreign governments political agenda were registered as foreign agents ( Allen-Ebrahimian et al. Los Angeles: CPD, 2018. https://softpower30.com/, Stay informed of issues for this journal through your RSS reader, Text Ross, R., A. I. Johnston. such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Farsi and others, sponsored by already existing language programs, among them Chinese ( Switzer 2018Switzer, A. ). Kong, D. Imaging China: Chinas cultural diplomacy through loan exhibitions to British museums. , there is no evidence that CIs are being politicized. An alternative framework of analysis to investigate Chinas Confucius Institutes: a great leap outward with Chinese characteristics? 1 (2015): 200-226. On the other hand, there are particularities in Chinas conceptions of soft power and cultural diplomacy, such as: valuing culture in the concept of soft power which leads to the concept of cultural soft power ( Ding 2008Ding, S. The dragons hidden wings: how China rises with its soft power . London: Routledge, 2018. ) 3 (2008): 32-46. ; Li 2009; Sun 2015Sun, W. Slow boat from China: public discourses behind the going global media policy. International Journal of Cultural Policy 21, no. Johnson, J.

He sees CIs as benign institutions devoted to the main mission of teaching the language and cultural studies, films, cooking, tai chi and other activities. According to the author, culture has a peculiar role that is irreplaceable in Chinese soft power, because it is not only its heart and soul, but also the framework that accommodates all other aspects of Chinese soft power ( Zhang 2017Zhang, G. Research outline for Chinas cultural soft power . The consequences of Confucius Institutes: understanding the opposition . https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12078 ; Ding 2008Ding, S. The dragons hidden wings: how China rises with its soft power . (Thesis PhD in philosophy, Department of Political Science, George Mason University, 2017). Wang Huning is said to be the one responsible for introducing Nyes writings into China in 1993 ( Xiao 2017Xiao, Y. In the movie Pixels (2015), there were scenes where aliens exploded the Great Wall of China, which were preemptively deleted by Sony ( Thussu 2018Thussu, D. K. Globalization of the Chinese Media: the global context. In Chinas media go global , edited by D. K. Thussu, H. Burgh, and A. Shi. Political science research methods. ). London: Routledge, 2018 ); China Central Television (CCTV), which changed its name to China Global Television Network (CGTN) in December 2016, broadcasts in 6 channels (2 in English and the others in Arabic, French, and Spanish), in 171 countries, also having signed cooperation agreements with circa 70 foreign media institutions among them BBC Worldwide , and news exchange agreements with hundreds of foreign media institutions ( Hu et al. London: Routledge, 2018. This is related to the dual function of Chinese cultural diplomacy, which is seen as a fundamental strategy to compensate for the cultural hegemony of Western countries, and to counterbalance cultural modernization and westernization within China while maintaining security and cultural cohesion at home ( Kong 2015Kong, D. Imaging China: Chinas cultural diplomacy through loan exhibitions to British museums. Hu, Z., D. Ji, Ambiguities in communicating with the world: the Going-out policy of Chinas media and its multilayered contexts. Chinese journal of communication 5, no. 2 (2014): 329-349. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/plar.12078 The consequences of Confucius Institutes: understanding the opposition . 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure., Allen-Ebrahimian, B., E. Groll, and R. Gramer. While this did not occur, NAS suggested intermediary steps, especially those related to transparency and control on CIs. ); the less evident distinction between public diplomacy and propaganda ( Hartig 2016Hartig, F. How China understands public diplomacy: the importance of national image for national interests. International Studies Review 18, no. 20 ). Singapura: Springer, 2017. has pointed out that Chinese cultural soft power is radically different from that which Joseph Nye defines, in terms of its people-oriented principle, its categories, its main areas and its main problems. An alternative framework of analysis to investigate Chinas Confucius Institutes: a great leap outward with Chinese characteristics? 2014)Levine, S., M. Mecacci, M. Hill, Z. Daojiong, S. E. Hanson, and M. Gallagher The debate over Confucius Institutes in the United States. Foreign Policy, July 11, 2014. http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/07/11/the-debate-over-confucius-institutes-in-the-united-states/ ). According to Xi Jinping, a new rhetorical system should be developed in order to facilitate mutual understanding between China and the rest of the world, so as to ultimately promote Chinese soft power ( Hu et al. Soft power and the strategic context for Chinas media going global policy. In Chinas media go global , edited by Daya Kishan Thussu, Hugo De Burgh and Anbin Shi. Singapura: Springer, 2017. Ambiguous states: Confucius Institutes and Chinese soft power in the US classroom. PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review 37, no. http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/20/new- Liu (2017)Liu, X. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orbis.2010.07.

This article analyzes instruments of Chinese cultural diplomacy (2003-2018), such as the media, cinema, and the Confucius Institutes, as well as its potential to overcome barriers between states. An alternative framework of analysis to investigate Chinas Confucius Institutes: a great leap outward with Chinese characteristics? Furthermore, Hanban might provide learning aids and send Chinese teachers. In practice, China uses means of public and cultural diplomacy similar to other countries, such as the media, cinema, and cultural instruments. There are, conversely, suppositions and insinuations based on few anecdotal cases. ; Hartig 2015Hartig, F. Chinese public diplomacy: the rise of the Confucius Institute . Kwan, C. Y. W. Cultural diplomacy and internationalization of higher education: the experience of three Confucius Institutes in Canada. Frontiers of Education in China 9, no. Confucius institutes in the US: platform of promoting Chinas soft power. Global Chinese 3, no. ).

In this new flourishing relationship with Hollywood companies, China has increased its know-how ( Flew 2016Flew, T. Entertainment media, cultural power, and post-globalization: the case of Chinas international media expansion and the discourse of soft power. Global Media and China 1, no.