The US needs to use its vast cultural resources to crush China in the global influence game
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- As we did with the Soviet Union, the US needs to pioneer the global conversation against China.
- China's attempts to gain international influence have largely failed.
- The US needs to establish cultural centers across the globe to inspire American values and ideals.
- This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author.
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Why is the US doing such a poor job of addressing the China challenge?
Right now, the American strategy seems to amount to tariffs, sanctions, demonstrations of military force, and an unending stream of strongly-worded statements. In short, the US is still playing on China's terms and turf. That approach will only go so far and too often allows Chinese leaders to portray the West as the aggressor.
But America already has many of the tools to win a battle for international influence. Yes, China has made major advances in economic development and defense. Yet, there is one notable area where Beijing still struggles mightily: public diplomacy. The US would be wise to focus on this weakness.
Just like when the US confronted the Soviet Union, it is critical to change the context of the conversation. Louis Armstrong and the jazz ambassadors were part of a massive cultural and information assault against the Soviet Union that helped amplify American influence and help bring people and their leaders to the West's side. It's time the government dusts off that old playbook to restore America's tarnished international image and turn the tide of Beijing's global ascendency.
China is still losing the messaging war
As it stands, the Chinese government's attempts to win the global influence battle are hamfisted at best and downright bizarre at worst.
Beijing's efforts at engaging on social media are only slightly better than your grandparents. The often shamelessly self-promotional tweets include polls asking readers to vote for what "impressed them the most" in the Chinese government's response to COVID-19. Their diplomats and embassies have recently taken to trolling, which is pretty weird and often poorly worded.
Even on the news platforms designed for consumption by foreign audiences, Beijing often misses the mark. Much of the international media they fund - from CGTV to the China Times - sound like a memo straight from the Politburo. Even the Iranians do a better job of adapting the message to their audience abroad.
The Confucius Centers they established on university campuses around the world have had greater success. Institutions of higher education, including quite prestigious ones, often welcomed them with open arms. But, subtlety was again not their speciality and drew scrutiny and scorn for their attempts to keep critics like the Dali Lama from speaking at the schools and engaging in espionage. The Trump Administration, in one of its smarter moves, designated the Centers as foreign influence entities, severely limiting their operations and appeal.
There is little evidence that their propaganda or even cultural programs are having much impact to expand Beijing's influence internationally. But China's expanding economy and the weight it affords the government's words partially obscures the shortcomings of their public diplomacy programs.
A cultural counterweight
This is where the United States and its allies should really direct their focus, as well as funding. America needs to establish more cultural, library, and tech centers overseas. Unlike their Chinese counterparts, these institutions should serve as a hub for the free exploration and exchange of ideas. They can bring American innovation and inspiration directly into critical communities around the globe.
I found in my diplomatic career that such spaces effectively bring America's values and ideals to life, while helping to draw a stark contrast with adversaries. Indeed, they provided those of us in the diplomatic corps with a prominent platform for programs and in the past were central to efforts to combat Soviet propaganda. Unfortunately, most were shuttered after the Cold War.
Music moves people. It embodies the sense of hope and indeed freedom that Beijing so appears to fear. Bring back the jazz ambassadors, add in an array of other diverse musicians, and send them out to the places they don't normally tour. Apart from the concerts, the artists can collaborate with local artists, as well as helping to open up connections and conversations that are more problematic for policy people.
After COVID-19, it's going to be even more important to get personal. The US needs to work hard to overcome the international isolation imposed by the pandemic and the polarizing policies of the Trump Administration. Expanding the number of short-term exchanges to the United States can help ensure America does not lose direct contact with a generation of emerging leaders. These exchanges enable the US to fully deploy its most powerful asset - the American people - in rebuilding relations with the world, person by person.
China may have a lot going for its global expansion goals. But, the country faces a significant challenge. Its influence still largely perched precariously on the pillars of fear and the search for short-term profits. Long-term, it is largely failing to generate much goodwill or genuine support. That represents a worrisome weakness for Beijing and a major opportunity for Washington, if we can literally and figuratively get the ol' band back together again.
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