by: Mr. Ovais Ali Khokhar, Chairman, Board of Experts, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad:
The China’s sports diplomacy upholds the fundamental foreign policy to preserve world peace and promoting the development since the foundation of new china. After the adoption of reform and opening policy, China’s sports diplomacy has achieved historical success through the active participation in international sports competitions, hosting major sports events, and consistent engagement with other countries through cultural exchange sports. During last decade, China makes an all-round effort in the pursuit of major countrywide sporting diplomacy with Chinese characteristics by constant increase in China’s economy, cultural soft power and international inspiration of sports.
Sports Diplomacy as a vital demonstration of nation’s soft power, plays an important role in maintaining global peace, safeguarding international security order, promoting win-win cooperation, and carries forward physical culture, that creates exceptional contributions to implementation of national diplomatic strategy.
This article will explore the successful Sports Diplomacy of China, that commits to serve the nation’s core interests and diplomatic strategy. Further, this study will delve into the China’s efforts for a shared future community for a peaceful and prosperous world through Sports.
Brief Overview of China’s Sports Diplomacy: In 1970s under the Diplomatic principle of ‘‘ping pong’’ Chinese sports diplomacy began to go global. The Sports diplomacy of China remained committed to pursue and uphold an independent foreign policy of peace. China promoted the manifestation of the core value of Chinese spirit by adopting the ideology of ‘‘friendship first, competition second”. Since it opening and reforms, China’s sports diplomacy has integrated international sports with its development and continued to achieve new goals in economy, politics, culture and in context of development and peace.
Sporting diplomacy helps in bringing people together from various sociocultural and linguistics by using their universal passion of sports. China has achieved remarkable success in promoting its historical details and characteristics of Chinese values and norms through long diplomatic practices. China’s sports diplomacy among countries along the Belt and road has evolved from ping-pong diplomacy to the cultural and people to people exchanges. From the title of “Sick Man of East Asia” to the glory of Beijing Olympic games 2008, transition of ideology from “gold medal first” to “Fitness-for-All” programs indicate china’s undeniable success in diplomatic practices with global nations.
During past seven decades, China’s sporting diplomacy has yielded significant outcomes in, shaping an international image, collaboration, articulating political stances propagating traditional culture, fostering intergovernmental and strengthening friendships with people from other nations. This success of China’s sports diplomacy shows that experience, collective wisdom and efforts of Chinese people and their leaders. Therefore, it is necessary to summarize the achievement and role of sports diplomacy in boosting diplomatic relations of China with other nations.
Sports Diplomacy Promoting People to people exchange between nations: Advancement of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, developing political mutual trust, economic and trade exchange have become important part of Chinese foreign relations, whereas these are vital factors for development of bilateral and multilateral relations. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have direct impact on boosting international communication, global and regional level governance, and also highlights the soft image of the concerned nations.
Cultural and people-to-people exchange with other nations are given great importance by the state council and the CPC Central Committee, adopting it as one of important strategy of state and Party in foreign exchanges. Sports play a significant role within the nine high-level people-to-people and cultural exchange mechanisms established between China and key countries such as Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Central Europe, France, Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, and India. Implementing this High-level mechanism cultural and people-to-people exchange in various fields including sports, education are thriving.
Sports Diplomacy Under President Xi’s Shared Future: China’s diplomacy is integrated with distinct Chinese characteristics, among them sports diplomacy holds a pivotal role in actualizing the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally demonstrated and outlined the future trajectory of sports diplomacy. In July 2015, prior to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member’s vote, President Xi Jinping expressed the aspirations and unwavering support on behalf of Chinese government and people for the hosting of Winter Olympics games 2022, via video address. President Xi Jinping created history by becoming first top Chinese leader to visit IOC headquarters in January 2017.
In January 2019, During his meeting with President of (IOC), Thomas Bach at the Great Hall of the People, Xi stressed that the hosting of Winter Olympics in Beijing would provide fresh opportunities for China and also helps to boost international cooperation in Sports. Countries that are part of this diplomatic engagement includes, Argentina, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, United States and United Kingdom. President Xi Jinping has engaged in discussions, communicated, and even participated in football games during his visits to numerous countries.
Sports play a vital role in people-to-people and cultural exchanges within major bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, including China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) cooperation, China-Africa, China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Forum, the Belt and Road Initiative, and BRICS.
Conclusion: China’s successful sports diplomacy stands as a vital pillar in its foreign policy, underlining its commitment to fostering global peace, international collaboration, and the realization of a shared future community. Over the preceding decades, China’s approach to sports diplomacy has transformed from the “ping pong” era of the 1970s into a comprehensive strategy seamlessly woven into economic, political, and cultural development. China has successfully adopted sports diplomacy to bring people together, promoting its values and norms on the global stage.
The impact of China’s sports diplomacy is evident in its notable achievements, including the shaping of its international image, the facilitation of intergovernmental collaborations, and the fortification of friendships with nations across the globe. This success is attributed to the wealth of experience, collective wisdom, and sustained efforts of the Chinese people and their leaders over the past seven decades.
Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, sports diplomacy has gained a central role in China’s foreign relations. President Xi’s active engagements with diverse countries, personal participation in sporting events, and dialogues with international sports leaders underscore the significance placed on sports as a catalyst for people-to-people exchanges and cultural understanding.
