From July 23 to July 26, the Hainan University (HNU) “Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)” Public Diplomacy Research Team conducted a field study in Jakarta, Indonesia under the theme of “Public Diplomacy and China’s Image: College Students’ Participation”. The team interacted with NGOs, universities, businesses, and residents through roundtable meetings, visits, and questionnaires to learn about the local perception of China and promote China’s image.

On the morning of July 24, the team visited the Indonesia Huanyu International Confucius School and Indonesian Hakka Association. Later, they held discussions with Ms. Li Xiaoya, principal of the Confucius School, on the social impact of the Chinese community in Indonesia and public diplomacy as well as the contributions of the ethnic Chinese to the BRI. The team learned about the school’s efforts to help Chinese and Indonesian employees in local companies learn each other’s language and to foster cultural exchanges between universities in China and Indonesia. In the light of Ms. Li’s achievement, on July 15, 2024, HNU granted her a three-year authorization to work as an international student recruitment agent in Indonesia.

From July 25 to 26, the research team conducted surveys among Indonesians in local streets and universities to gather their perspectives on China’s national image. The questionnaire is related to their impression of China’s politics, citizens, economy, enterprises, culture and technology as well as the Hainan Free Trade Port. Dressed in traditional Chinese attire (Hanfu), the team members distributed questionnaire sheets at Trisakti University, using the opportunity to introduce Chinese traditional clothing to local students and promote Chinese culture. Besides, the team gave out Chinese-themed gifts, such as Chinese knots and postcards featuring iconic landmarks.

During the field study, the team met with the directors of international exchanges and related professors of Trisakti University and Maranatha Christian University. They explored the opportunities for academic cooperation, student exchange programs, and joint cultural events within the BRI framework.

The team also visited the headquarters of Nanyang Group and China Communications Services Indonesia and held talks with company representatives to better understand the challenges facing the Chinese-funded enterprises and the employment of the ethnic Chinese. They mainly discussed the efforts and contributions these companies have made under the BRI.

The research activities were conducted both online and offline. The team was led by Li Fen, Deputy Director of the English Department of the School of International Studies and Cai Tao, Director of the General Office of Qingyun College. HNU graduate students Liu Xinyu and Wang Panqi participated in the field study, while eight other team members contributed to the study through online activities.

Source from China Daily

Translated by Han Yunsheng

Proofread by Kuang Xiaowen, Yang Jie