A Model for the Belt and Road Initiative: China’s Cultural Diplomacy Toward Central and Eastern European Countries

Abstract

China’s cultural diplomacy toward the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) includes all cultural activities led by the Chinese government and participated in by the Chinese public. China’s cultural diplomacy already has a clear roadmap, which focuses on projecting the soft power of Chinese culture to dissolve Europeans’ negative perceptions of China and enhancing their understanding of Chinese values. The article explores the roadmap China has formulated for its cultural diplomacy toward CEE. After examining the development and problems of China’s cultural diplomacy to CEE in recent years, the article concludes that cultural diplomacy can and does play an important role in helping CEE countries to understand China’s ideals; therefore, China should take more initiative in cultural diplomacy toward these countries. Meanwhile, China can gain experience in how to improve international public understanding of the Belt and Road initiative.