Case Studies
A Study on Military Public Diplomacy of the Republic of Korea
Liu Jiwen • 88 •
Public diplomacy, as a complementary form of traditional diplomacy, is playing an increasing role in the international exchanges between different countries. Military public diplomacy, which can be regarded as a dynamic combination of military diplomacy and public diplomacy, aims to improve the international standing and influence of the government and armed forces through diplomatic activities implemented by armed forces. With the aim to improve its international image and “repaying the kindness” of the international community, the South Korean Military has been actively participating in international peacekeeping and disaster relief missions, opening up great room for public diplomacy, which has helped South Korea to achieve more benefits in politics, military and other various aspects.
EU and the Belt and Road: Perception, Response and the Prospect of China-EU Cooperation
Wang Zhenling • 95 •
EU’s perception of the motivation and influence of the Belt and Road is generally positive, yet there are underlying concerns: first, EU believes China’s Belt and Road Initiative, though motivated mainly by internal factors, alleviates geopolitical pressure in the periphery and strengthen Chinese influence. Second, EU values the economic opportunities generated by the Belt and Road and approves its political implication outside the region, yet it has concerns regarding “market rules” and internal EU solidarity. EU’s response focuses on finding common ground, establishing institutional platforms and synergizing strategies. EU-China cooperation regarding the Belt and Road is promising, as the two sides share common interest in promoting trade and facilitating economic growth and political stability of countries alongside the route. It is suggested that China promote the cooperation with EU through cooperating with both EU and its member states, and also through carrying out other spillover cooperative activities with EU.
Diplomatic Gift in the Changing of the Mode of China’s Foreign Relations
Gan Tiantian & Song Lilei • 102 •
Diplomatic gift is not only a consequence of diplomatic relations, but also a result of exchanges between civilizations. Symbolizing friendship between different ethnic groups or nations, gift plays an important role in international interactions. As the mode of China’s foreign relations changed, the feature, purpose, and function of diplomatic gift have changed as well. This paper traces the history of China’s international status, its foreign relations and interactions with foreign countries from a unique perspective — imperial China’s tribute system that gave more gifts than those received, the kind of “gift-giving” based on request of “political aid” in the “treaty system” of modern times to “gift-giving” based on political equality in contemporary diplomacy after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. This paper hopes to provide reference to the study of maintaining equality and improving friendly exchange in the years to come.
