Information on the thesis "The Issue of Cultural Dissemination Through Chinese Media Activities in Vietnam Today" by graduate student Phan Thi Anh Thu, majoring in International Relations.1. Student's Full Name: Phan Thi Anh Thu 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of Birth: March 2, 1985 4. Place of Birth: Ho Chi Minh City 5. Decision No. 1376/2008/QD-XHNV-KH&SDH dated October 29, 2008, issued by the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 6. Changes during the training process: None 7. Thesis Title: The Issue of Cultural Dissemination through Chinese Media Activities in Vietnam Today 8. Major: International Relations; Code: 603197 9. Scientific Advisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phung Thi Hue - Institute of Chinese Studies 10. Summary of Thesis Results: Media and cultural dissemination play an important role in the reception of "soft power" in Vietnam. Culture is a crucial foundation for China's development of "soft power" in the world. In Vietnam, media is used as the primary means by which China widely disseminates its culture. Various media channels are employed, including the internet, television, radio, newspapers, books, and magazines. The content is rich, engaging, and tailored to the local audience's tastes and preferences. Through the dissemination of its culture and increased media activities in Vietnam, China has achieved some success in enhancing its "soft power" by improving Vietnamese people's perception of China's growing international role. A significant number of Vietnamese people have shown a relatively positive attitude towards China's rising status. With the goal of enhancing cultural appeal and promoting pro-China sentiment in Vietnam through cultural exchange and dissemination, Chinese leaders aim to present a civilized, responsible, and trustworthy China. Cultural exchanges, festivals, films, music, religion, sports, and tourism form the foundation for China's image of a "peaceful rise." Chinese cultural content is conveyed dynamically and flexibly through the comprehensive use of various media channels with high frequency and rich content. The most frequently and effectively used media channel is film and television. Chinese books, newspapers, and novels are very popular and well-loved in Vietnam, playing a crucial role in conveying the image of China, its ideology, and its people. The dissemination of the Chinese language has achieved certain results. Currently, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language in Vietnam, after English. Tourism is the most obvious result of promoting the image of China, its ideology, and its people in Vietnam. Films have been a major factor in boosting the development of Chinese tourism. Vietnamese people's awareness of China's international role is increasingly high. Their attitude towards China's rising status is friendly, and a significant portion of them feel no threat. Media plays a crucial role in raising awareness of China's international role. Through a series of media activities, China consistently conveys a message of a great nation that is both benevolent and responsible. Chinese culture is unique, and the way the Chinese use their cultural values is skillful and achieves admirable success. This is something we should learn from. Adopting the culture of another country broadens one's horizons and accumulates valuable life experiences. However, adopting a different culture carries many risks that could go against national interests. Through the lessons learned from China's experience in cultural dissemination and the deployment of "soft power," Vietnam can choose to apply these strategies appropriately to its own circumstances. Along with political and economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy needs special attention because it plays a crucial role in promoting the country's image. To achieve this effectively, the fundamental components of soft power—national culture, national values, and national policies—need to be nurtured, building upon and developing the nation's fine traditions. 11. Practical Applications: The rise of China in the 21st century is manifested in many fields: politics, economics, culture, international relations, etc. In particular, China emphasizes the dissemination of its culture as a means of spreading its image and appeal throughout the world. Vietnam, being both a neighboring country and part of Southeast Asia, a region where China is particularly interested in and expanding its influence, has a long-standing cultural relationship with China and is heavily influenced by that culture. By correctly and fully understanding the impacts of these cultural elements on specific forms, methods, and objects, Vietnam will be able to adopt appropriate measures to harmonize the absorption of the best aspects of Chinese culture while preserving and promoting its own national culture. The proposals presented in this thesis can make a useful contribution to diplomatic and cultural relations with China and simultaneously open up new research directions related to this topic. The thesis is significant for the development of cultural diplomacy and the dissemination of Vietnam's image to the world, which Vietnam is currently undertaking. China's cultural diplomacy is a great lesson, a successful and systematic model from which Vietnam can learn and apply much. 12. Further research directions: The author's research topic is quite new and not yet widely disseminated in Vietnamese research. Therefore, to further develop the results achieved in this thesis, the author would like to propose some possible directions for further research: Firstly, research on the application of media in cultural diplomacy and the dissemination of a nation's "soft power." Secondly, research on other elements of a nation's "soft power." Thirdly, research on the "soft power" or cultural diplomacy of other countries that have influence in Vietnam, such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, etc. Fourthly, research on solutions to enhance Vietnam's "soft power." 13. Published works related to this thesis: * Lai Hongyi, China's Cultural Policy: Development for "Soft Power," East Asian Research Institute, October 2006 * Vu Hong Anh, China's Soft Power Deployment Strategy in Southeast Asia and Policy Recommendations for Vietnam, Vietnam Diplomatic Academy, 2008 * Chicago Council in collaboration with the East Asian Institute, Survey of “Soft Power” in Asia, 2008 * Report to the U.S. Congress, “China’s Soft Power in Southeast Asia,” 2008
INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS
1. Full name: Phan Thi Anh Thu 2. Sex: Female 3. Date of birth: March 2, 1985 4. Place of birth: HCMC 5. Admission decision number: 1376/2008/QD-XHNV-KH&SĐH Dated October 29, 2008 6. Changes in academic process: N/A 7. Official thesis title: The use of means of communications for China's cultural popularization in Vietnam in recent times. 8. Major: International Relations 9. Code: 603197 10. Supervisors: Associate Professor Phung Thi Hue, PhD 11. Summary of the findings of the thesis: Means of communications and cultural popularization play important roles in the expansion of China's “soft power” in Vietnam. Culture is an important resource of China's “soft power” while communications are used as a key vehicle to widely promote its culture. Key public outlets are used flexibly with many different communication channels, such as internet, televisions, radios, newspapers, magazines, books... The sending information is abundant, attractive, and appropriate to the taste of mass receivers. By means of cultural popularization and intensification communication in Vietnam, China has gained a number of successes in promoting “soft power” here at changing the Vietnamese public's perception toward China's rising international status, which is positively recognized by a somewhat remarkable amount of Vietnamese citizens. With the aim to enhance the cultural attractiveness and improve pro-Chinese spirit in Vietnam, through cultural exchange and popularization, China's leaders want to introduce China as a civilized, responsible, and reliable country. Cultural exchanges, festivals, movies, music, religion, sport, and tourism are resources for China to build its “peaceful rise”. The cultural contents are delivered flexibly by using high rate mass communication channels. The most common and effective channel to be used is television. Chinese books, newspapers, novels are very popular in Vietnam, playing important roles in delivering images of Chinese country, people, and philosophy. Tourism is the most obvious achievement from popularizing images of Chinese country, people, and philosophy in Vietnam. Movies are main factors that help impulse the development of China's tourism. Besides, the Chinese language popularization is getting good results as Chinese is the second most popular foreign language in Vietnam, right after English. Vietnamese public's perception towards China's international role has changed positively. A somewhat remarkable amount of Vietnamese citizens said that they do not feel threatened by China's rising international status. Public communication plays an important role in increasing public's perception toward China's international role. Through a mass of communication means, China is sending a consistent message of a goodwill and responsible power. China has a featured culture and Chinese people use those cultural values wisely and they get lots of praiseworthy achievements. Receiving other cultures helps people enrich their knowledge and experience, yet may bring perils against the benefits of their own nation. Through experiences of China in popularizing their culture and expanding “soft power”, Vietnam can selectively learn and apply appropriately with the country's realistic conditions. Along with political diplomacy and economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy needs to be developed as its important role in popularizing the nation's images. To do so, resources that make a nation's soft power such as nation's culture, nation's value, nation's policy, need to be strengthened. 12. Practical applicability, if any: The rise of China in the 21st century is reflected in many fields: politics, economics, culture, international relations… Among them, Chinese are especially interested in popularizing their culture as a vehicle to deliver their images and attractiveness into the world. As a neighbor and a part of South East Asia – where China is their influence – as well, Vietnam has spread a cultural tie with China and is somewhat influenced by that tie. Being aware of those cultural effects, Vietnam would be able to have appropriate reactions, which help well acquire other country's values and bring into play national values. Proposals mentioned in the thesis are possible to implement in cultural relations with China and can open for further research directions. The thesis is practically useful for the development of cultural sponsorship and popularizing Vietnamese images into the world. China's cultural diplomacy is a good example and a case study, from which Vietnam can learn and apply many things. 13. Further research directions, if any: The thesis is dealing with a new subject which has not been popularly researched on in Vietnam. Hence, to enhance the results of the thesis, we propose to have some further research directions as follow: Firstly, directions of communication application in cultural diplomacy and “soft power” promotion of a country Secondly, directions of other resources of “soft power” of a country Thirdly, directions of “soft power” or cultural diplomacy of some other countries which have relations to Vietnam, such as The United States, Japan, Korea... Fourthly, directions of methods to deploy “soft power” of Vietnam 14. Thesis-related publications: * Lai Hongyi, China's cultural publications diplomacy: Going for soft power, East Asia Institute, October 2006 * Vu Hong Anh, China's “Soft power” strategy in South East Asia and suggestions for Vietnam, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, 2008 * The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and the East Asia Institute, Report “Soft Power in Asia”, 2008 * CRS report for congress, China's “Soft power” in South East Asia. CRS report for Congress, 2008
