New Developments in the E-diplomacy of Western Countries and Their Implications for China

Tang Xiaosong & Lu Yanfang

New Developments in the E-diplomacy of Western Countries and Their Implications for China

Tang Xiaosong & Lu Yanfang

The continuous development and innovation of information technology has prompted the birth and rapid progress of e-diplomacy, a foreign relations practice that is quite active nowadays. A United Nations documents from 2010 pointed out,“The e-diplomacy initiative plays the important role of advocating and promoting the use of web tools to help diplomats in their daily routine and ad-hoc activities.” While overseas e-diplomacy is already somewhat well established, Chinese e-diplomacy is now on the rise. China must learn from other countries’experiences in order to further develop their own e-diplomacy. For Chinese diplomacy to improve in the information age, it is crucial that we actively explore the e-diplomacy strategies and approaches of all e-diplomacy approaches – at home and abroad – and summarize successful experiences.

I. New Developments in Western E-diplomacy

Over the years, Western countries have developed a series of relatively mature paradigms, theories and approaches to e-diplomacy that can be characterized by the following points:

1. E-diplomacy has clear-cut ideas and well-defined plans.

Western countries are paying increasing attention to the unique role of the internet in projecting their national images, disseminating their social values, and intervening in the social affairs of other countries. The development of Western e-diplomacy demonstrates that the U.S. and other Western countries are aware of the strategic role of the internet in international relations, have clear conceptions of e-diplomacy, and have formulated comprehensive plans for developing their e-diplomacy programs.

The United States was the first country to launch e-diplomacy. The Office of eDiplomacy, founded in 2003, is part of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Information Resource Management, whose mission is to help U.S. diplomats communicate via internet communities and make the execution of U.S. foreign policy more effective. Current U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stressed in a speech that “[the United States needs to build new partnerships from the bottom up and use every tool at our disposal. That is the heart of smart power. [...] This changing landscape requires us to expand our concept of diplomacy.” By altering the flow and projected audiences of information, the U.S. e-diplomacy has spread American ideas throughout the world and changed the traditional mode of diplomacy that limited purely to inter-governmental. From 2006 to 2010, the U.S. Department of State continued working on its e-diplomacy strategic objectives, which primarily cover the following five aspects: i) providing accurate information; ii) connecting diplomats anywhere at any time; iii) coordinating with external cooperating partners; iv) safe and effective crisis management; and v) leading innovations in working practices to create a team of highly specialized information technology personnel who can effectively serve their diplomatic missions.

On November 24, 2009, the United Kingdom set up a digital diplomacy group that was dubbed “the world’s most dynamic digital diplomacy group,” with Jimmy Leach appointed as head of the digital engagement. The group belongs to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and its main task is to spur the development of new media techniques in diplomacy, with a growing number of blogging Ministers and Ambassadors and a set of policy and geographic campaigns deploying a wide range of digital techniques.

2. E-diplomacy comes in diverse forms and makes good use of new cyber technology platforms.

Western e-diplomacy has a spectrum of forms including disclosure of diplomatic information, cyber public diplomacy, and offensive cyber-diplomacy. With the development of new cyber technology platforms, e-diplomacy is becoming increasingly popularized and individualized.

First, Western countries are becoming increasingly inclined to use the Internet to release cyber information, as well as actively collect feedback from users. “Once upon a time, diplomatic communications were carried out through predictable venues and stable deliberative processes. The circle of knowledgeable participants was well established. The number of participants with access to accurate, timely information was relatively small.” In order to guarantee netizens’ rights to access information, Western governments have chosen to release diplomatic information through the Internet and interact with netizens via this medium. Such a method not only shortens the time required for foreign policymaking, but also accelerates the public’s access to diplomatic information. From January to May 2003, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade launched an extensive program entitled “A Dialogue on Foreign Policy.” The program went on to publish a dialogue paper that included the Canadian government’s foreign policies and relevant issues. Also launched was an Internet site where visitors could download the dialogue paper, submit on-line comments on certain issues, and participate in an electronic discussion forum.

Second, more and more Western countries are now engaging in cyber public diplomacy, indicating a stronger trend of e-diplomacy catering to the needs of the public. National leaders now commonly deliver speeches to foreign nationals through video or audio files that are accessible online. For example, U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt in 2009, demonstrating to the Islamic world the American intention to intervene in Middle Eastern affairs. In May 2011, shortly after Bin Laden was shot to death, Obama released a video speech. Such approaches are becoming increasingly common, and the videos that are produced have been widely circulated on the Internet.

Third, online diplomatic assault has become an important and unique diplomatic tool in Western countries, and it is conducted mainly through influential media and influential political speeches. Comments that are critical of foreign governments, whether through CNN, BBC or the “2011 Human Rights Report” released by the U.S. State Department, all fall into the category of online diplomatic assault.

Western governments are most active in using new technology platforms. Since the emergence of the microblog medium, many foreign dignitaries are setting up personal websites and blogs. Sometimes called the “Cyber President,” Barack Obama created his personal website (MyBarackObama.com) in the initial stage of his presidential campaign in order to engage the public and rally his political base – many pundits believe that this played a significant role in his electoral success. At a news conference on June 18, 2009, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the Internet, mobile phones and social networking sites have been a “huge strategic asset for the United States.” According statistics from Twitter, the original microblogging site, more than 60 national political dignitaries have opened personal Twitter accounts. There were 175 million Twitter accounts at the end of 2010, ranking number one in terms of microblog accounts opened in the world. Barack Obama’s own microblog account has more than six million followers. When the British royal wedding attracted worldwide attention in May 2011, the British government’s Digital Diplomacy Group teamed up with Chinese media outlet Sina for wedding coverage, with 90,000 Sina Weibo (microblog) users watching live. Jimmy Leach stated that the Sina Weibo coverage presented, as a Sina Weibo user put it, a “decent, confident, respectful, open-minded, dynamic and creative” image of the UK to Chinese netizens. The dynamic global Internet has fostered diplomatic communication, helped spread diplomatic voices, and disclosed diplomacy to the public. With the rapid growth of global netizens and expanding network coverage, Internet diplomacy has become a cost-effective way to use social networking to publicize foreign policy.

3. With public participation, the government is playing a leading role in e-diplomacy.

Western countries attach importance to the leading role of the government in e-diplomacy and try to establish a unified and effective system of e-diplomacy by facilitating cooperation between government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and individual citizens in their cyber diplomatic activities.

The leading role of the government is largely reflected in the use of government portals and foreign-oriented Internet to communicate national foreign policy, provide diplomatic information, and gather public responses to various policies. Each of these different kinds of websites has its own unique features. Government portals, for example, tend to be rather comprehensive. For example, the United States White House’s website covers the domestic and foreign policies of the government as well as the activities of the President, and the website of the British prime minister’s residence has a similar role. Foreignoriented websites mainly provide diplomatic information to the public in order to bolster diplomatic transparency. These government portals and foreign-oriented websites allow netizens to share their on-line comments and interact with each other via these websites. Western governments use government portals both to expound on national and to create a platform for interaction with netizens.

In addition, Western countries also tap into the potential value of business websites, media groups and other non-governmental organizations in e-diplomacy, and take advantage of their role in guiding public opinion and maintaining national image. The political debate over China’s “Internet freedom” triggered by Google’s withdrawal from the Chinese market reflects the role of commercial Internet portals in international politics. The U.S. State Department has long attached importance to its cooperation with commercial web portals. Links with Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and Google Map, among other sites, Can all be found on the White House and State Department websites. In early 2010, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a dinner with ten social media business people, including Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, to share the State Department’s views on cooperation between politics and the Internet. At the dinner, Clinton said that if U.S. foreign policy continues to encourage “civil campaigns”and “opposition to violence and oppression,” then Internet platforms like Twitter, Google, and Youtube can play a crucial role in the 21st century. Her statement illustrated the U.S. government’s intention to engage media groups in cyber diplomacy. The Western governments’ cyber diplomacy is also characterized by its emphasis on interaction with netizens: the Japanese government has set up a Twitter page to interact with netizens, and U.S. President Obama showed up at the Facebook headquarters several times to interact with Facebook users.

II. The Development of Chinese E-diplomacy

More than 20 years after the first e-mail message was successfully sent in China in 1987, China has emerged as the world’s largest population of Internet users, with 457 million netizens (compared to the United States’ 239 million netizens). The Chinese government has been making progress in using Internet resources to publicize internal and external policies. During the March 14th incident in Tibet in 2008, the Chinese government released reliable information about the incident through the Internet and strongly refuted the Western media’s severely distorted and counterfactual coverage of the incident. Throughout the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, and the Guangzhou Asian Games, China used the Internet to present its image to the world, an image characterized by a harmonious society and prosperous civilization.

Because China’s cyber diplomacy is still in its formative stages, our country needs to enhance public awareness of e-diplomacy, and improve responsiveness to harmful, aggressive cyber diplomacy of other countries. We should study the strategic positions and role of cyber diplomacy in the national development of China, and then establish a clear strategy as well as a dedicated managing agency for e-diplomacy. Chinese cyber diplomacy at the moment only focuses on public relations, and China has made achievements in public diplomacy by successfully hosting events like the Beijing Olympic Games and Shanghai World Expo. As a result, China’s on-line publicity campaigns won extensive recognition, providing useful inspirations for us.

The government should play a leading role in cyber diplomacy and shape foreign public opinion through Internet platforms in order to influence the foreign policymaking of various targeted foreign governments. China’s cyber diplomacy is yet to be institutionalized, and it thus needs an effective core system of management. Currently, several government agencies are involved in China’s Internet management. These include the Internet Affairs Bureau of the State Council Information Office which is responsible for qualification review of Internet portals for news release, etc.; the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which was established on the basis of the former Ministry of Information Industry and is responsible for Internet portals record management and the “triple play”, namely network integration of telecommunications, cable TVs and the Internet; the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, which is responsible for broadcast management of online audio/video programs; the General Administration of Press and Publication, entrusted with managing and enforcing laws concerning the content of network communication, etc.; and the Internet Office of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry, which controls the on-line release of diplomatic information, etc. Once cyber diplomacy awareness is enhanced and China’s strategic positioning is well-defined, these institutions should join forces and work together.

While China has a number of platforms for overseas publicity and uses the Internet for external communication, there is still much to be improved in the realm of public e-diplomacy, including an effective mechanism to plan and carry out cyber public diplomacy and a professional platform to communicate with foreign netizens. We seldom find online video statements by Chinese national leaders on diplomatic incidents, and few of their speeches delivered at well-known overseas universities are available on-line. To a great extent, China’s cyber outreach targeted towards a foreign audience is just the foreign-language editions of the government website for overseas publicity, and there is no foreign-language edition of the BBS of domestic netizens, leaving much to be desired for shaping the opinion of foreign netizens.

In short, Chinese e-diplomacy is still in its infancy, and there are quite a few limitations in its form, content, and means.

III. Reflections on Strengthening Chinese E-diplomacy

The current development trend shows that all countries will adopt the Internet as an important front to carry out diplomatic activities. Whereas foreign cyber diplomacy is on the rise, Chinese e-diplomacy has just been launched. As one of the major powers in the world, China can play its part in cyber diplomacy and seek international discourse via this new medium.

1. China needs a clear strategy and a single, unified platform to conduct its cyber diplomacy.

Chinese e-diplomacy should serve China’s peaceful development and work towards a harmonious domestic and foreign cyber environment. We should establish a clear strategic goal for cyber diplomacy and have a clear understanding of the role that the Internet plays in foreign affairs. The Internet is not only a tool of communication for public diplomacy; it is also a form of diplomacy itself. Successful cyber diplomacy means that a country can use the Internet to engender a favorable public opinion of itself and influence the netizens of targeting countries to exert pressure on their governments in an attempt to change diplomatic behaviors. Chinese cyber diplomacy should work to eliminate international misunderstandings and create a harmonious cyber environment; in the long term, the goal should be to promote our values and policy conceptions.

The establishment of a unified e-diplomacy mechanism is two-fold. Firstly, we must actively strive for cyber discourse, guide the public participation in cyber diplomacy, and attach importance to new media’s role in foreign affairs. China needs a well-trained team of e-diplomats in order to both fight against various anti-China forces and creatively guide international public opinion through positive cyber diplomacy. Secondly, we must engage in communication and coordination with foreign netizens, fully understand their characteristics, and actively utilize new media (including BBS and microblogs) for diplomacy, interacting with netizens and fully mobilizing their sentiments.

2. China needs to improve approaches to cyber diplomacy, make best and timely use of new media, and promote cyber diplomacy in line with the times and with Chinese characteristics.

First, Chinese cyber diplomacy should take full advantage of the intangible resources of the Internet to enhance interaction with netizens through e-diplomacy platforms. This can help us understand foreign netizens’ interests, solicit their comments, promptly respond to their doubts, and eliminate harmful misunderstandings. We can also cooperate with domestic and foreign commercial websites in order to expand the influence of Chinese foreign policy.

Second, considering the e-diplomacy offensive of Western countries, China should play its part in public e-diplomacy in accordance with China’s national conditions and international situation. China should foster a good national image through such public networks. President Hu Jintao pointed out that“efforts should be made to strengthen cyber platforms for public opinion, grasp the leading power of online public opinion, improve online media guidance, make best use of new technologies, and increase positive publicity, in order to create positive mainstream media.”

Third, China should make use of new media technologies, and maintain an innovative thinking process and a strategic vision. China should improve foreign-oriented online publicity networks and fully take advantage of commercial websites. China may also wish to use the world’s leading online platforms and cooperate with well-known international commercial websites to promote China’s foreign policy, encourage mutual understanding, and eliminate misunderstandings such as the“China threat” theory.

3. China should develop nationwide e-diplomacy under the guidance of the government.

Chinese e-diplomacy should work to create a favorable environment for China’s diplomacy. We should expand our cyber diplomacy and, under the guidance of the government, count on our citizens and make an extensive use of media, commercial websites and other resources for diplomacy.

Firstly, timely and accurate information on China’s foreign policy should be provided to leading foreign affairs governmental websites. Given the psychological tendency of netizens to “peek”, efforts should be made accordingly to reduce misunderstanding arising from the sense of mystery.

Secondly, China should enhance educational programs in foreign affairs. The government should provide media guidance on diplomatic incidents so that Chinese netizens can understand the dynamics of these incidents and relevant Chinese foreign policy. With their better English skills and increased free time, young students now have enough time and energy to surf on the web. As a result, they are more closely connected with the world. In their interactions with netizens at home and abroad, young students should help the world better understand China.

Thirdly, China should support the construction of key news websites in order to enhance its national image. “China must vigorously strengthen cyber communication and online publicity in response to infiltration by the hostile forces of domestic and foreign media via the Internet. Efforts should be made to speed up the construction of key websites, to expand the visibility of key news websites, and to seize the high ground in this ideological battlefield of public opinion.” In sum, China should build internet platforms that are able to influence world public opinion, with particular emphasis on the construction of foreign language websites.

Fourthly, China should strive for the development of both old and new media, using the two approaches to mutually reinforce each other. Compared with traditional media, the amount and rapid accessibility of online information is unmatchable. The Internet however has its own weaknesses, such as its virtuality and the uncertainty of the cyber environment, both of which make it difficult to fully ensure security. The high speeds and extensive audiences on the Internet have made it more difficult for the government to curb the spread of false information. Traditional media is still a force to be reckoned with in public opinion communication. For example, in Sweden, a leading Internet nation, 80% of the public still believes that newspapers are “irreplaceable.” Therefore, when we engage in cyber diplomacy, we should insist on a combination of traditional and new media in a complementary manner, using both to forge a favorable public opinion for stable development. To serve the strategic goal of Chinese cyber diplomacy, genuine efforts should be made to combine the broad appeal and rapid information-spreading power of the Internet with the decency and credibility of the traditional media.

Tang Xiaosong is Professor in Department of Diplomacy, Law School, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies; Lu Yanfang is a graduate student in Department of Diplomacy, Law School, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.