外交通訊No.36第1期

European Governments established cultural institutions as early as the 19th century. France founded the Alliance Française in 1889, Germany established the Goethe-Institut in 1951 and the United Kingdom created the British Council in 1934. Initially, the mission of the institutions were to teach the respective languages abroad. Today, however, cultural institutions serve as significant media to build relationships, create mutual understanding and establish trust with other nations. Cultural diplomacy cannot be done overnight. It is a process of building bridges, not a one way street. Moreover, cultural diplomacy cultivates respect for others and their way of thinking; and also vice versa, to let other people understand your culture, appreciate your culture and eventually embrace your culture and values. In the year 2001, the 9/11 crisis battered people around the globe – and with the subsequent pandemic political turmoils and the soaring number of terror attacks across the world, many Governments started to seek a new signification of public diplomacy, exploring a shift from hard power to soft power. Whilst the 'hard power' approach has historically been a favored policy of governments in conducting international and regional relations, the 9/11 experience has taught us a lesson, and the drawbacks of hard power are fully revealed. Furthermore, our increasingly interconnected world also calls for co-operation and a new approach to conduct international diplomacy. This is where the role of Soft Power as a form of cultural diplomacy becomes significant. Cultural diplomacy is no longer secondary to political or economic diplomacy, but rather functions as an intrinsic and necessary component of it. Prof. Joseph S. Nye, an American political scientist describes, 'soft power' as: "The ability to persuade through culture, values and ideas, as opposed to 'hard power', which conquers or coerces through military might". In the last decade many countries like Japan, Korea and Israel have joined Europe and the United States in becoming influential players in intercultural dialogue and cultural exchange, by developing extensive outreach strategies using art and culture to create increasing understanding, build relationships and establish trust. However, experts in the field of cultural development point out that cultural diplomacy is more effective when it caters to the interest of the host country, thus it should resonate with the local population. More recently, the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy defines: "Cultural Diplomacy may best be described as a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation, promote national interests and beyond ” I am honoured to say that Taiwan’s “ New Southbound Policy ” (NSP), which has been 外交情 Official Column 48