Abstract
In 2010, the Central Committee of the CCP called for a greater development of culture in order to increase soft power, the aim being to build a stronger visibility for China with an attractive cultural identity that, softly and steadily, will gain minds and hearts, and help it to reach its foreign policy goals in Africa. Government-driven Confucianism is a foundation on which to build a strong cultural power to allow China to advance its globalization project. China has 46 Confucius Institutes in Africa, all affiliated with local universities and educational institutions. In Africa as elsewhere, the institutes offer Chinese-language courses and promote Chinese culture. However, Chinese thinking does not resonate with the African rationale. Chinese culture and its values do not overcome or compete with the rich African cultural heritage. Nor do China’s political values compete with the universal values of democracy and human rights—those endorsed by Africans.
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Lahtinen, A. (2018). Culture. In: China’s Diplomacy and Economic Activities in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69353-8_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69353-8_4
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