China’s Public Diplomacy and Its Foreign Policy Towards Central and South Asia

Burcu, Oana; Boni, Filippo

Abstract

This chapter analyses how China has promoted its interests under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) using a set of strategic tools, which we define as enmeshment and appeasement. More specifically, the analysis considers the dynamics characterizing China’s BRI in Central and South Asia, in order to outline patterns of engagement along the route. The chapter uses the case study of Russia and India, which represent key actors for the BRI, owing to the competition over power and influence in which China is engaged on its Western and Southern border with these two regional powers. Based on a systematic analysis of two Chinese newspapers—the Global Times and People’s Daily—the empirical sections highlight China’s public diplomacy strategy towards Russia and India’s concerns over the BRI. In addition, the chapter sheds light on how enmeshment and appeasement are deployed to alleviate these fears and the extent to which they enable China to navigate challenging bilateral relations.

• Acceptance Date: Mar 6, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jun 24, 2022
• Publication Date: Jun 24, 2022
• Deposit Date: Mar 10, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 25, 2023
• Publisher: Routledge
• Pages: 79-96
• Book Title: China's International Communication and Relationship Building
• Chapter Number: 6
• ISBN: 9781032183572
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003254157-7
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/7568610
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003254157-7/china-public-diplomacy-foreign-policy-towards-central-south-asia-oana-burcu-filippo-boni
• Related Public URLs: https://www.routledge.com/Chinas-International-Communication-and-Relationship-Building/Zhang-Schultz/p/book/9781032183572
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in China's International Communication and Relationship Building on 24 Jun 2022, available online: http://www.routledge.com/9781003254157