O Instituto Confúcio como instrumento da diplomacia cultural chinesa

Abstract

The present work has the objective of applying the theories of Cultural Diplomacy and Soft Power in the Confucius Institute. In this research I tried to explain and comprehend the functioning of this chinese institution, describing its development. In this paper I speak about my experience as a researcher in unit of Confucius Institute hosted at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in Porto Alegre 2012. I present a reflection about his role as a transnational institution and point similarities between others institutions that are similar, suchlike : The British Council, Alliançe Française, Goethe-Institut. The methodology utilized was the analyses of documents related to his creation and theoretical framework about Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy. I also considered to composed this work: Documents about the activities promoted by the Institute, speeches of chinese presidents and from Hanban directors, interview with directors of the institute located at Porto Alegre, testimonials from students of the local unit and also a testimonial from a businessman that work in the area of commerce with China. I concluded that the institute act as a diplomatic platform for chinese cultural diplomacy, acting in foreign universities and favoring the expansion and comprehension of foreigners about China, they can even be considered as non official cultural diplomats. But, since they are financed by the chinese State, they are not fully representatives of Soft Power, because they depend of this financing to function or even to exist, being mismatch by the theoretical framework proposed by Nye.