U.S. Public Diplomacy Towards China

This book aims to understand public diplomacy by examining its practice. In particular, it focuses on the implementation of educational and exchange programs by the US Departments of State and Defense toward China. Implementation is the focal point of this study and is utilized both as a practical process and a methodology. It refers to the process of translating a public diplomacy policy goal—the specific order given to a governmental institution in order to achieve a general foreign policy objective—into public diplomacy practices and impact. In addition, it refers to a research method that centers implementation and accepts the prerequisite of discretion from studies of policy implementation. This book maps out where and by whom implementation discretion is exercised in public diplomacy. It argues that public diplomacy is in the eye of the beholder, and that its meanings can vary significantly according to different actors.

“The US-China relationship is the critical driving force of contemporary world order, and public diplomacy is a vital tool for creating better understanding and reducing tensions between the two powers. Based on original research, this book is not only an important contribution to the academic literature on public diplomacy, but also an invaluable guide for analysts and policymakers in explaining why US cultural and education programs have had limited success, and how to improve them.” (Amitav Acharya, Distinguished Professor, American University, USA)

“In this path-breaking book, Di Wu pulls back the curtain of public diplomacy-as-theory to reveal how public diplomacy-as-practice is actually implemented on the ground. Her extensive documentation and innovative analysis of the two major public diplomacy players in the US pivot to Asia – the US State Department and US Defense Department – vividly demonstrate how different organizational cultures, measurable goals, and resource constraints shape the practice and, ultimately, the meaning of public diplomacy.” (R.S. Zaharna, Professor, American University, USA, and author of Boundary Spanners of Humanity)

“Exploring public diplomacy strategy and impact from an implementation standpoint, this book offers a fresh perspective on one of the most endemic challenges facing the field.” (Jay Wang, Associate Professor and Director, Center on Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California, USA)

“This book is a comprehensive and compelling study of American engagement with the PRC. Detailed in research and insightful in commentary, this book offers a unique approach to one of the most critical relationships of the modern age. A fascinating, important, and timely contribution to public diplomacy scholarship.” (Gary Rawnsley, Professor, University of Nottingham Ningbo, China)

Di Wu is Assistant Professor at Tongji University, China. Her research sits at the intersection of foreign policy and strategic communication, with geographic interests in China and the US. Wu has published on soft power, public diplomacy, and US-China relations.