Editor's Note:

China pays much attention to public diplomacy and has made lots of efforts overseas to improve its image. Is there a Chinese approach to public diplomacy? If so, what are its characteristics? At a seminar organized by the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, experts shared their insights.

Ingrid d'Hooghe, senior research associate of Clingendael (Netherlands Institute of International Relations)

China has dreamed about being recognized and appreciated in the world, its policy being understood and its culture being embraced. But China's image in the Western world is often portrayed differently.

The Chinese government is very much aware of this image and feels misjudged. It uses public diplomacy as an important tool to boost the domestic and international perceptions about China and its efforts across the globe.

In the West, there are basically two models of public diplomacy. One is the traditional, highly state-centered and hierarchically organized model.

The second is a new network model that is carried out by engaging dialogue and collaborations. In this model, state and non-state executors are equal partners.

But our current understanding of public diplomacy and the two models are based on Western points of view and practices. China may not fit in such a paradigm and is different in many aspects.

China indeed is developing a specific Chinese approach to public diplomacy, which has three major characteristics.

First, the Chinese government has taken public diplomacy as an instrument of enhancing its comprehensive power. Second, there is high-level State-centeredness in China's public diplomacy.

The third feature is China's long-term, strategic and holistic approach to public diplomacy, which to a certain extent comes from its cultural values.

The Confucius Institute is an excellent instrument to promote cultural diplomacy, which is part of public diplomacy. But it is not yet well developed and programs often lag behind preparation.

Zhang Qingmin, professor of the School of International Studies, Peking University

There has been a big growth in articles on public diplomacy published in China between 2000 and 2010, from less than 10 to more than 200 each year. But generally comprehensive research on this topic is still absent in China.

Public diplomacy is actually one of many diplomatic instruments to serve the national interests of a country, and hence cannot be characterized as a particularly Chinese feature.

China's public diplomacy has two dimensions: domestic public relations and external public diplomacy, but China often confuses the two.

While China has spent lots of money in Europe and the US to improve its image, its reputation in these places is nonetheless declining.

There are some limitations. For instance, if the relations of the US or Europe with China are good, then the public there thinks well of China, otherwise China's image will decline whatever is done.

China also has its own problems, as it manages external public diplomacy in the very way it handles domestic matters. The traditional publicity methods have been turned into public diplomacy, and the methods to achieve the goal remain unchanged.

Zhao Kejin, deputy director of the Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University

Public diplomacy is a fresh phenomenon and countries worldwide attach increasing importance to it.

Its rise is a paradigm change. In the new paradigm, everyone has to set up a network, and public diplomacy then serves as an effective way to connect these networks.

It's a general trend that public relations is turning from traditional models to this network model.

China has to adapt, otherwise it will blow the possibilities to connect with others.

China also has to follow the general rules first, and on this basis find innovative ways to promote public diplomacy.

To find a Chinese approach to public diplomacy, it's necessary to adopt reform and innovation in the diplomatic system.