{"id":8481,"date":"2024-09-28T03:29:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-28T03:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=8481"},"modified":"2024-09-28T03:29:08","modified_gmt":"2024-09-28T03:29:08","slug":"pakistans-soft-power-diplomacy-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/?p=8481","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan\u2019s Soft Power Diplomacy in China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cGiven the rich history of China-Pakistan relations, it is imperative that the two ancient nations uplift one another, emboldening each other\u2019s sovereignty to cultivate regional prosperity.<\/strong><\/em>\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1990s in his book \u201cBound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power\u201d Joseph Nye first coined the term \u2018soft power\u2019 which is based on attraction and\u00a0shunning<\/a>\u00a0coercion. Since the 1990s, soft power in international politics has received unprecedented traction. In the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century, seduction is more effective than coercion. Soft power cheaper than hard power can be used anytime and is sustainable in maintaining durable relations. The overlapping convergence of Pakistan\u2019s interest with China impels the former to invest in the latter in soft power. Both countries lack an understanding of each other\u2019s civilizations, culture, and history. Winning the hearts and minds of the Chinese for Pakistan is crucial in bolstering its relationships with China.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chinese are thrilled to travel abroad, with the country possessing the world\u2019s largest outbound tourism industry, contributing massively to boosting the economies of other states. Beijing\u2019s outbound tourism expenditure in 2019 culminated in 109.8\u00a0billion<\/a>\u00a0USD. The US, Japan, France, and South Korea are the biggest beneficiaries of Chinese outbound tourism. However, Pakistan has utterly failed to coax Chinese travelers to visit the country. Facilitating the visits of the Chinese in summer holidays, particularly in the scintillating northern areas adjacent to China could be a mechanism for understanding Pakistan\u2019s civilizations, culture, cuisine, and people. By improving the security conditions of Balochistan, Chinese outbound tourism to Pakistan\u2019s ancient lands and stunning coastal areas will be able to flourish, fostering a mutually beneficial interest for both Islamabad and Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ancient History and Geoeconomic Relations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGandhara remained the birthplace of the Buddhist religion which currently is practiced in 29 countries across the globe. China possesses 245 million Buddhist worshipers, the visits of the Chinese pilgrims to Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC would bolster religious tourism.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the current global landscape, Pakistan is the only state in the world that simultaneously has the world\u2019s two ancient civilizations, Gandhara and the Indus Valley civilization. Gandhara remained the birthplace of the Buddhist religion which currently is practiced in 29 countries across the globe. China possesses\u00a0245 million<\/a>\u00a0Buddhist worshipers, the visits of the Chinese pilgrims to Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC would bolster religious tourism. Morphing CPEC into a civilizational corridor is another avenue that requires introspection as far as Pakistan\u2019s soft power in China is concerned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The economy is a new form of soft power. With a total annual export of USD 30 billion and a whopping import of\u00a0$81 billion<\/a>, Pakistan is entangled in a trade deficit dilemma. The country\u2019s trade deficit with nine regional countries has been rapidly\u00a0widening<\/a>. Surprisingly, manufacturing merely contributes 12 percent of the country\u2019s economy. The import-oriented economy is eroding soft power and reflecting a consumer-driven economy.\u00a0Islamabad\u2019s main exports to China are still rice and cotton. The diversification of the economy requires serious efforts. Geopolitics and geoeconomics are the two sides of the same coin. Boosting the economy without political stability is simply out of the question. Over the 76-year history of\u00a0Pakistan,<\/a>\u00a0among the 18 prime ministers of the country, none of them has completed his or her five-year tenure generating skepticism over the credibility of democracy.\u00a0The 2024<\/a>\u00a0election is considered the most rigged election in the annals of Pakistan. Rigged elections are the tip of the iceberg with growing attacks by the TTP increasing in extremity, denting Islamabad\u2019s soft power projection. A complex security environment in Pakistan\u2019s border areas massively complicates local diplomatic efforts with Islamabad\u2019s neighbors. Continued challenges posed by terrorism and the separatist movement of the Baloch people convolute pathways to peace and stability in the region. The deadliest attacks orchestrated by Balochistan Liberation Army\u00a0BLA<\/a>\u00a0on 26 August in Balochistan have shaken China\u2019s confidence in Pakistan. Bear in mind, that political stability has the potential to engender economic prosperity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Promoting Cross-Cultural Exchanges <\/strong>           <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPresently, thirty thousand Pakistani students are studying in China, but Pakistan yearns to host Chinese students. Student exchange programs ought to be two-way traffic \u2013 granting Pakistani scholarships to Chinese students\u201d    <\/em><\/strong>                   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Believing that Pakistan and China can understand one another without people-to-people cultural exchanges is na\u00efve to believe. In Sino-Pak ties, cultural exchanges are an old phenomenon that commenced in the 2<\/a>nd<\/sup><\/a> century<\/a> BC and existed till the 16th<\/sup> century. The arrival of Buddhism in China remains the oldest cultural exchange. Currently, the Chinese language is believed to have been the largest communication tool across the globe. Language learning is essential in influencing others. As such, learning the language of rising power China within Pakistan will ease the difficulties in understanding Chinese foreign policy <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presently, thirty thousand Pakistani students are studying in China, but Pakistan yearns to host Chinese students. Student exchange programs ought to be two-way traffic \u2013 granting Pakistani scholarships to Chinese students would yield fruitful results in understanding Pakistan\u2019s culture, language, and history. Promoting joint research projects and collaborating on research including culture, history, and linguistics will deepen the understanding of both parties.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cricket & Mangoes: A Rich Past<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sino-Pak relations, sports diplomacy is largely unexplored. Pakistan can share cricket expertise with China. Javed Maindad<\/a>, an erstwhile Pakistani cricketer, states \u201cChina is already an associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), and from our expertise in the game of cricket they will learn a lot,\u201d The US in 2024 hosted the T20 cricket World Cup. China\u2019s engagement in sports diplomacy promotes cricket collaboration with Pakistan, with Beijing possibly hosting the next World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having more than 24 varieties of mangoes, Pakistan is home to the fifth largest producer of the fruit. In the Cultural Revolution, the mango held paramount importance in China. On August 4, 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, Pakistani foreign minister Mian Arshad Hussai gifted a crate of mangoes to\u00a0Mao<\/a>\u00a0Zedong. Mao offered mangoes to the workers and showed his affection for the people. The mango turned out to be a political symbol that showed Mao\u2019s love for workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile the current state of Sino-Pak relations remains somewhat fragmented, potential is abundant for both nations\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, Pakistan\u2019s trade of mangoes to China will promote an export-oriented economy. Galvanizing Pakistan\u2019s domestic economy towards a successful future rests on a foundation of a strong stream of exports and strategic investment in Chinese imports. While the current state of Sino-Pak relations remains somewhat fragmented, potential is abundant for both nations to move forward positively together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Old Friends: Forging a Prosperous Future <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving political and economic crises, cajoling Chinese outbound tourism, projecting the Gandhara Civilization, fostering sports diplomacy and exports to China, and promoting the Urdu language are the main components to be employed in winning the hearts and minds of the Chinese. Given the rich history of China-Pakistan relations, the two ancient nations must uplift one another, emboldening each other\u2019s sovereignty to cultivate regional prosperity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference Link:- https:\/\/southasiaforesight.org\/pakistans-soft-power-diplomacy-in-china\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cGiven the rich history of China-Pakistan relations, it is imperative that the two ancient nations uplift one another, emboldening each other\u2019s sovereignty to cultivate regional prosperity.\u201c In the 1990s in his book \u201cBound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power\u201d Joseph Nye first coined the term \u2018soft power\u2019 which is based on attraction and\u00a0shunning\u00a0coercion. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[2716,4143,4144,4146,4148,4142,105,36,4145,4147],"class_list":["post-8481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sample-category","tag-archialogy","tag-budhism","tag-china-attracted-to-gandhara-civilization","tag-china-values-pakistani-cultures","tag-fa-xian","tag-gandhara-civilization","tag-geopolitics-2","tag-pakistan","tag-sacred-places-of-budhists","tag-xuan-zang"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8481"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8483,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8481\/revisions\/8483"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gsrra.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}