The Manifestation of China's Soft Power Agenda in American Higher Education: The Case of the ...

166 Pages·2017·1.73 MB·English

by  Jiaying Song

UCLA
UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
The Manifestation of China's Soft Power Agenda in American Higher Education: The Case of
the Confucius Institute Project in America
Permalink
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/80f4r0fq
Author
Song, Jiaying
Publication Date
2017

Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation
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University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles

The Manifestation of China's Soft Power Agenda in American Higher Education:
The Case of the Confucius Institute Project in America

A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in Education

by

Jiaying Song

2017
© Copyright by
Jiaying Song
2017
ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

China’s Soft Power Strategy in American Higher Education:
The Case of the Confucius Institute Project in America

by

Jiaying Song

Doctor of Philosophy in Education
University of California, Los Angeles, 2017
Professor Val D. Rust, Chair

Along with the development of China’s economic and military power, China is perceived
by its competitors as a threat to the international system. In order to have a “peaceful rise” and to
project a benign national image to the world, China began taking a series of actions to market
itself. The Confucius Institute project is one of the public diplomacy actions in education in
response to Beijing’s “peaceful rise” slogan.
The Confucius Institutes are non-profit public institutions affiliated with the Ministry of
Education of the People's Republic of China whose stated aims are to promote Chinese language
and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilitate cultural exchanges. The
increasing number of Confucius Institutes has received world-wide attention. This phenomenon
has also precipitated an important debate in America on Chinese’s soft-power agenda. According
to Joseph Nye, the founding father of “Soft-Power Theory,” soft-power is the power of attraction
without coercion. Nonetheless, results from this study suggest that the Confucius Institutes create
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mutually beneficial consequences for both China and America, and tend to promote educational
opportunities and social justice in America.
This multiple case study is comprised of data from four of the Confucius Institutes in
different geographic locations in America (one from the Southwest, one from the Northwest, one
from the East Coast, and the other one from the Midwest). Further data were also collected on
other Confucius Institutes in the United States. Through document analysis, informal interviews,
participant-observation, and semi-structured interviews, I primarily focused on the perceptions
and beliefs from key personnel based in America, who set up and/or work for the Confucius
Institutes in America.
My inquiry is guided by the following research questions: 1) What is the nature of the
Confucius Institute? 2) Why would a U.S. host institution want to house a Confucius Institute? 3)
What trends are evident toward this Confucius Institute in its host institution? The study aims to
find out what the Confucius Institutes at American universities do, to what extent they serve as a
political tool for China, what benefits are there for host institutions in America, and what the
future trends of the Confucius Institutes are in America.
Across all four sites, staff members and key personnel suggested that the political
influence from the Confucius Institutes is limited, as the programs offered by the Confucius
Institute are low level; additionally, American Directors appointed by host institutions are in
absolute leadership positions, ensuring the purpose and contents of Confucius Institute programs
are strictly guided by the host institutions. This dissertation argues that the Confucius Institutes
create a win-win situation for both China and the U.S. However, while the number of Confucius
Institutes is growing aggressively in America and worldwide, the future of the Institutes abroad
remains unknown. Its lack of self-sustainability, under-developed management from Hanban
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(the Confucius Institutes’ headquarters in Beijing), and unstable policy/funding resources from
the Chinese government are the key issues that could hinder the Confucius Institutes’ longevity.

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The dissertation of Jiaying Song is approved.
Edith Omwami
Deborah Larson
John Hawkins
Val D. Rust, Committee Chair

University of California, Los Angeles
2017

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DEDICATION PAGE
This project is dedicated to enthusiastic inter-culturalists, international educators, and
people who are devoted to Sino-U.S. relations and world peace. Their passion has deeply moved
me, and I am motivated by them every day to promote educational opportunities and spread
international understanding.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION …………………………………..………………… ii
DEDICATION PAGE…………………………….……………………………..……………...vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………………...…………… xi
VITA……...………………………………………………………………………..………….. xiii
CHAPTER ONE: STATEMENT OF PROBLEM ……………………………...…………….1
1.1 My Journey to this Project…………………………………………………...………….......1
1.2 Background………………………………………………………………………..…………3
1.3 Controversies on the Confucius Institute……………………………………………..……6
1.4 Significance of the Study………………………………………………………………….....8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………...……11
2.1 Soft Power Theory……………………………………………………………………..…...11
2.2 Other Similar Organizations……………………………………………………..………..13
2.3 China’s Soft Power Strategy……………………………………....……….........................13
2.4 Language and Culture as a Strong Means of Building a Nation’s
Power………………………………………………………………………………………….....16
2.5 Endeavors in Education…………………………………………………………………....17
2.6 Comments on China’s Soft Power Strategy ……………….............……………………..18
2.7 Confucius Institute and China’s Soft Power Agenda………………………………..…...19
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2.8 Operation of the Confucius Institute Project…………………………………………..…21
2.9 Receptivity of the Confucius Institutes & Benefits for Host Institutes and
Countries…………………………………………………………………………………...…....23
CHAPTER THREE………………………………………………………………………..…...28
3.1 Research Questions…………………………………………………………………..……..28
3.2 Methodology…………………………………………………………………………..…….28
3.2.1 Rationale for Using the Case Study as My Methodology………………………….…28
3.2.2. Multiple Case Studies……………………………………………...…………………..29

3.3 Data Collection Methods…………………………………………………………………...31
3.3.1 Document Analysis…………………………………………………………………….31
3.3.2 Participant-Observation…………………………………………………………...….32
3.3.3 Semi-Structured Interviews………………………………...………………………....33
3.4 Data Analysis……………………………………………………...……………………..….34
CHAPTER FOUR: INDIVIDUAL CASE STUDIES .................................……………….....37
4.1 Case A Report ….………………………………………………………………..…………37
4.2 Case B Report ………………………………………………………………………...…….49
4.3 Case C Report………………………………………………………………………..……..63
4.4 Case D Report……………………………………………………………………..………..73
CHAPTER FIVE: INTER-CASE ANALYSIS………………………………………..……...85
5.1 Convergence and Divergence between Cases………………………………………...…...85
5.2 An Observation of Private University Partners…...………………………………..…...104
5.3 Implication for American Host Institutions and America…………………………..….108
5.4 Recommendations for the Confucius Institute Management and
Hanban………………………………………………………………………………...……….111
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