Harmony or Hegemony: Confucius Institutes and Chinese Soft Power in Latin America
by Mrs. Della Hareland, U.S. State Department
Editor's Note: Ms. Hareland's thesis won the Lieutenant General Vernon A. Walters Award for International Affairs writing award, sponsored by the FAO Association, at the National Intelligence University. Because of the length of the thesis, the author has provided this Abstract of her winning thesis.
ABSTRACT
The thesis studies the People's Republic of China's (PRC) soft power in Latin America, and in particular, the extent to which Confucius Institutes (CI) in Latin America promote a positive image of the PRC, its culture, language, and people. The thesis also analyzes how the Cls are helping to further PRC soft power and foreign policy goals in Latin America. This thesis examines the question: How does the PRC utilize Confucius Institutes in Latin America to meet its soft power goals and shape public opinion about China and the Chinese people?
The researcher's aim was to help the Intelligence Community understand the intent behind the CIs, what methods they are using, and to what extent those methods are successful - information that is useful in terms of the risk that CIs in Latin American pose to U.S. national security.
The thesis utilized qualitative research methods to examine the CIs in three case study countries: Mexico, Peru, and El Salvador to answer the thesis question. Following a review of the CI websites and social media sites, public opinion surveys, and UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) voting records for each case study country, the researcher argues the PRC utilizes Confucius Institutes (Cls) as a reward to countries in Latin America that have demonstrated significant good will toward China. They are a symbolic gesture of long-term friendship and are meant to convey an image of China as a peaceful, global leader that is the friend and advocate of developing nations around the world. The PRC's primary soft power goal is to promote this "harmonious," image of China so it can continue its economic development unconstrained and achieve China's national rejuvenation.
About the Author
Mrs. Della Hareland is a Foreign Service Officer currently serving as the Cultural Coordinator in the Office of Public Diplomacy, in the Department of State’s East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau. Prior to this assignment, Della was in a long-term training assignment at the National Intelligence University. Before that she served in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as a Program Officer in the Professional Fellows Division, was posted to Beijing, China as an Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer, was the Public Diplomacy Officer at the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs, served as an Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer in Lima, Peru, and was a Consular Officer in the Dominican Republic.
Prior to joining the State Department, Mrs. Hareland worked in information technology at Intel Corporation. She has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University in Bethesda, Maryland.