History
A Review of Buddhism Exchanges between China and ROK
Shuai Shiyi & Li Qinhe · 102 ·
The friendly communication between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) has a long history, in which Buddhism exchanges, as one of the main parts, has played an important role. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly praised the cultural exchanges between China and the ROK. In his speech given at the Seoul National University of ROK, entitled “Creating China-ROK cooperation in the future, injecting vitality and bringing about prosperity of Asia together”, he especially mentioned Kim Gyo-gak’s story as one of the examples of the friendship between China and the ROK. Kim, a Buddhist monk of Silla, a kingdom on the Korean Peninsula, is regarded as the manifestation of Ksitigarbha at Jiuhua Mount. Since modern times, the peoples of China and ROK have experienced similar situations, and, facing life and death together, made every effort to help each other in seeking their own national independence and in the world’s anti-fascist war, during which they have forged profound friendship. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and ROK in 1992, the two countries have adhered to mutual respect and mutual trust, by taking advantage of the times, favorable geographical conditions and harmonious relations. The relations between the two countries in various fields of politics, economy and culture have become increasingly close and achieved leapfrog development. Buddhism, as a “golden link”, has played a unique role in the mutual exchanges between China and ROK, with Buddhism exchanges having become an important part of the two countries’ cultural exchanges.
Book Review
US Public Diplomacy in the Eyes of a Japanese Scholar — Book Review of American Cultural Center: American International Cultural Strategy
Wang Qiang & Ding Rui · 109 ·
American Cultural Center: American International Cultural Strategy is the first work ever published in China on the study of US public diplomacy from the perspective of a “third party”. Taking the US army’s occupation of Japan after the World WarII as the start, the book’s author Yasushi Watanabe moved his research focus to the US, systematically studied the policy-making, the executive bodies and specific measures of US public diplomacy from a Japanese scholar’s perspective with the Cold War, Vietnam Warand the Post-Cold Waras important points of history, and finally analyzed the concept of soft power. This paper reviews and comments on the book mainly on three issues, including the three dimensions that need to be grasped in carrying out public diplomacy, the practical significance of the “Merrow Era” and the soft power under the perspective of public diplomacy.
