Analysis of the Ecological Civilization As China’s Public Diplomacy Instrument in Indonesia (2018-2025)

Abstract

Ecological Civilization (EC) is a concept that forms the basis for ecological and environmental development by the Chinese Government. In the 14th Five Year Plan, its promotion became one of China's main focus to gain trust and acknowledgement of Indonesians to become a green global leader. In this thesis, China's approach is analyzed using Mark Leonard's theory of public diplomacy. There are three dimensions for analysis: news management, strategic communication, and relationship building. The findings of this research indicate that China's approach is imbalanced. In its news management, China is assessed as being quite passive, slow, and ineffective in responding to negative environmental issues. Conversely, its strategic communication is carried out strongly and massively, proactively branding itself through the EC concept, the Green Silk Road, and the slogan "Building a Community with a Shared Future." Similarly, relationship-building efforts are conducted on a large scale, successfully engaging all levels of actors, from the government to the youth, through various platforms such as joint research, forums, and conservation projects. This imbalanced approach potentially undermines public diplomacy outcomes. It turns out that Indonesian people react negatively on news management events and positively on proactive events.