2022 OLYMPICS IN THE CONTEXT OF CHINA'S «SOFT POWER»: A GLOBAL DIMENSION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29038/2524-2679-2022-02-132-143Keywords:
public diplomacy, «soft power», image of the state, message, narrativeAbstract
Olympic Games are not only a celebration of the sporting achievements of ath- letes, teams and participating countries; it is also a powerful tool of public diplo- macy of the state that conducts the Games. The success, attractiveness and inno- vation of all the various events within the Olympics serve as a means of forming a «soft power», a positive image of the host country. In 2022, China hosted the Olympics for the second time (the first time – the Summer Olympics in 2008, also in Beijing). The foreign policy background was unfavorable for the People's Republic of China: accusations of proliferation and ineffective fight against CO- VID-19, scandal with sexual harassment of a tennis star, accusations of genocide of the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, boycott of the Olympics by great powers, caution of sponsors of the International Olympic Committee. Given these problems and challenges (and in part, to counter them), China has sought to im- prove its foreign policy image owing to the Winter Olympics through a variety of new developments and unique organization of the Games in the pandemic period. The main message to the world – «we are strong, we are powerful enough, you must treat us with respect and agree with the new China» – did not strengthen the positive perception of China and the image in general has not changed. However, at the national level, the Olympics served to demonstrate the strength, power, and effectiveness of the Communist Party and its leader, and to promote the idea of the «Chinese Dream», which only the Party can realize. The government has stated to the world (but this message has received support only at the domestic level) that the 2022 Winter Olympics have proved that China «will always be on the right side of the history, on the side of humans’ advancements, be a builder of world peace, and a contributor to global development».
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