Experts call for public diplomacy development in China

Experts from the United States and Britain discussed the development of public diplomacy in China at a seminar hosted in Beijing on Wednesday, stating that they hope China will invest more in developing public diplomacy. Public diplomacy, also known as second-track or "people-to-people" diplomacy, is a relatively new discipline and profession, but it has become more valuable as countries become more interconnected, said Ernest Wilson, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the "Public Diplomacy in The Age of Globalization" seminar. As China has developed rapidly in recent years, it needs make more efforts to build understanding and trust with people from other nations, Wilson said. However, China's public diplomacy has so far failed to catch up to that of Western countries, he said. The United States will hold presidential and congressional elections next year, and the "China card" will be a major point of discussion for the Democratic and Republican presidential and congressional candidates, Wilson said. Alistair M. Michie, secretary-general of the 48 Group Club "The Icebreakers," the most senior British economic and trade promotion organization to China, said he hopes China can learn from Britain's experience, as Britain has a long track record of success in public diplomacy. More people-to-people communication will boost respect for different cultural values between China and Britain, Michie said. "There is a deep need for investment and training in order to build up the China's public diplomacy capability, and the need is urgent," Michie said. "China's public diplomacy, which is just on the rise, has gained support from government, non-government organizations, universities and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)," said Zhao Qizheng, a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, adding that China's public diplomacy personnel will make more efforts to fill the gap between China and Western countries. China will tell its own story and project a real image to the world, Zhao said. The seminar was held by the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee. More than 100 experts and scholars attended the seminar