Thesis information "The issue of popularizing culture through Chinese media activities in Vietnam today" by HVCH Phan Thi Anh Thu, majoring in International Relations.1. Full name of student: Phan Thi Anh Thu 2. Gender: Female 3. Date of birth: March 2, 1985 4. Place of birth: Ho Chi Minh City 5. Decision to recognize student No.: 1376/2008/QD-XHNV-KH&SĐH dated October 29, 2008 by the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi 6. Changes in the training process: None 7. Thesis topic: The issue of popularizing culture through Chinese media activities in Vietnam today 8. Major: International Relations; Code: 603197 9. Scientific supervisor: Associate Professor, Dr. Phung Thi Hue - Institute of Chinese Studies 10. Summary of the thesis results: Communication and popularization of culture play an important role in receiving "soft power" in Vietnam. Culture is an important foundation for China to build its “soft power” in the world. In Vietnam, the media is used as the main means for China to widely disseminate culture. Media channels are used flexibly with many popular means such as: Internet, television, radio, newspapers, books, magazines, etc. The content transmitted is rich, attractive, and suitable for the psychology and tastes of local people. Through the dissemination of culture and strengthening of media activities in Vietnam, China has achieved certain successes in increasing its “soft power” here by improving the awareness of Vietnamese people towards China’s increasingly important international role. The attitude of a large number of Vietnamese people towards China’s rising position is quite friendly. With the aim of enhancing cultural appeal and promoting pro-China sentiment in Vietnam, through cultural exchanges and dissemination, Chinese leaders want to present a civilized, responsible, and trustworthy China. Cultural exchanges, festivals, films, music, religion, sports, and tourism are the foundations for China to build its “peaceful rise” image. Chinese cultural content is transmitted flexibly and smoothly by using a combination of media channels with high frequency and rich content. The most widely used and effective media channel is the film and television channel. Chinese books, newspapers, and novels are very popular and loved in Vietnam, playing an important role in conveying the image of the country, thoughts, and people of China. 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 the country, ideology and people of China in Vietnam. Films are a major factor in promoting the development of Chinese tourism. Vietnamese people's awareness of China's international role is increasing. Vietnamese people's attitude towards China's rising position is friendly and a significant number of them do not feel threatened. The media plays an important role in raising awareness of China's international role. Through a series of media activities, China always presents a consistent message about the image of a great country, China, full of goodwill and responsibility. Chinese culture is very unique and the way Chinese people use their cultural values is very skillful and has achieved many admirable successes. That is something we should learn. Accepting other countries' cultures helps people broaden their horizons and accumulate life experiences for themselves. However, accepting another culture contains many dangers that can go against national interests. Through China's experience in popularizing culture and deploying "soft power", Vietnam can choose to apply it appropriately to the country's actual conditions. Along with political diplomacy and economic diplomacy, cultural diplomacy needs to be given special attention because it plays an important role in promoting the country's image. To do this well, the basic constituent resources of soft power, namely national culture, national value system and national policy, need to be cultivated, on the basis of inheriting and promoting the nation's fine traditions. 11. Practical applicability: The rise of China in the 21st century is reflected in many areas: politics, economics, culture, international relations... In particular, China especially emphasizes the dissemination of culture as a means to disseminate its image and attractiveness to all over the world. Vietnam, with the characteristics of being both a neighboring country and a part of Southeast Asia, where China is particularly interested in and expanding its influence, has a long-standing cultural relationship with China, and is greatly influenced by that culture. By correctly and fully recognizing the impacts on the specific forms, methods, and objects of those cultural elements, Vietnam will have appropriate measures to harmonize the absorption of the cultural quintessence of neighboring countries, while maintaining and promoting national culture. The proposals presented in the topic can contribute usefully to the work of diplomacy - cultural behavior with China and at the same time open up new research directions related to this topic. The topic is meaningful to the development of cultural diplomacy and the dissemination of Vietnam's image to the world that Vietnam is carrying out. China's cultural diplomacy is a great lesson, a successful and systematic example that Vietnam has many things to learn and apply. 12. Further research directions: The author's research topic is quite new and is not yet widely popular in research in Vietnam. Therefore, to further develop the results achieved in the thesis, the author would like to propose some further research directions that can be carried out: First, the research direction on the application of communication in cultural diplomacy and the dissemination of a country's "soft power". Second, the research direction on other elements of a country's "soft power". Third, the research direction on "soft power" or cultural diplomacy of some other countries that have influence in Vietnam such as: the United States, Japan, Korea... Fourth, the research direction on solutions to help promote Vietnam's "soft power". 13. Published works related to the thesis: * Lai Hongyi, China's cultural policy: Development for "soft power", Institute of East Asian Studies, October 2006 * Vu Hong Anh, China's soft power deployment strategy in Southeast Asia and policy recommendations for Vietnam, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, 2008 * Chicago Council in collaboration with the East Asian Institute, Survey of “Soft Power” in Asia, 2008 * US Congressional Report, 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: * 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
