Beneath the iceberg: soft power and educational diplomacy between the European Union and China (2003-2018)

Abstract

The aim of the following work is threefold. Based on academic literature in the field, the first step will be to introduce academic discussion surrounding the evolution of the term “soft power”. Secondly, an understanding of educational diplomacy as part of the “soft power” toolbox will be provided. Lastly, a close examination of the diplomatic strategy of the European Union and the People’s Republic of China in the period between 2003-2018 will look into the factors which dictate the use of soft power and educational exchange programs in the EU-China Strategic Partnership framework. Even though “people-to-people” diplomacy is used as a complementary tool, its role in the efforts to consolidate and further expand the bilateral relations between the two would be regarded as important in the growing interconnected and globalized world that we live in.