On the flip side, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a lot of interest in China. Ever since the discovery of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan City, Hubei Province in Central China, the Chinese government pulled all stops, both at home and abroad, to help in combating the pandemic.
The world is fast learning innovative ways of doing things across the socio-economic divide after witnessing China’s best governance practices at the height of the pandemic. The United Nations Chinese Language Day usually celebrated on April 20 every year is one of the experience-sharing occasions China uses to propagate its ideologies.
The Day is marked through a series of painting exhibitions, learning forums, special lectures, and fashion shows aimed at exposing ancient Chinese culture to the world. The main aspects of Chinese culture include architecture, medicine, music, literature, cuisine, visual arts, philosophy, and religion.
The Chinese language has been around for thousands of years. The purpose of this celebration is to educate people about the Chinese language and to teach people from all over the world the benefits of learning the Mandarin. The occasion is marked alongside the annual UN Language Day, which commemorates the use of multiple languages and cultural diversity of the six official languages in the UN – Chinese, English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic.
Chinese was established as one of the official UN languages in 1946. It is the most widely spoken language by a single country, an estimated 1.4 billion people today. In 2009, the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization included the three millennia old Chinese calligraphy in the “Intangible Cultural Heritage List.”
As China’s economy, infrastructural and technological genius expands globally, there is a corresponding awareness of the pervasive and unique Chinese culture. The increasing acceptance of Chinese culture and ideology globally has been made possible by mutual understanding, rather than through assimilation and replacement usually used by hegemonic cultures. One of the main vehicles of Chinese cultural influence is the Mandarin teaching Confucius Institute, which has an estimated 500 institutions located in the six continents.
The fact that almost all Confucius Institutes are based in university campuses underscores not just their universal outlook, but also their connection to, and empathy with, local communities. This “glocalization” draws on the synergies of both worlds – academia and everyday lives of the people. The Institutes are also the main centers and vehicles of cultural exchange with China’s friends.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, held an open interactive event on Tuesday to celebrate the UN Chinese Language Day, which falls on Thursday.
The event, with more than 40 participants, included activities such as Chinese calligraphy writing, paper cutting art and quizzes on fashionable Chinese music and Chinese culture.
Chinese fashion has also captured the imagination of the world. For instance, it is currently not unusual for celebrities and leaders across the world, particularly politicians, to wear the Mao suit as a formal or semi-formal dress. Previously a symbol of China’s communist revolution, the Mao suit is now widely accepted as a universal fashion statement.
Top Chinese brands have also captured the world’s imagination, and are competing at the same level with leading Western brands. Both media and production houses are signing deals with their Chinese counterparts to carry the latter’s news and movies locally. The growing popularity of Chinese news and drama shows that people want something different and aligned with constantly changing realities.
Chinese culture is not insulated from external influence. Even with its proud identity, the influence of Westernisation is evident in its top cities. For example, on my first trip to Beijing and Nanjing in mid-2019, I saw the infusion of Western lifestyles in the numerous top brand houses and eateries in the central business districts.
In addition to education as espoused in the Confucius Institutes, leadership and training are increasing components of Chinese cultural influence. Countries are learning and adopting the Chinese governance model based on “fair and equitable governance that reflects the realities of modern times.”
Chinese diplomacy is also on the rise, based on the key principles of the country’s foreign policy: peaceful coexistence; mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; mutual non-aggression; non-interference in each other’s internal affairs; equality and mutual benefit and; peaceful coexistence.
The Chinese work ethic has exerted influence on both governments and private sectors internationally. The hard working, focused and disciplined approach has made Chinese infrastructure companies a favorite for many countries.
Incidentally, COVID-19 opened another window for Chinese cultural influence, through “health and medical diplomacy”. China helped many countries worldwide to deal with the pandemic. In addition to millions of dollars’ worth of donations comprising vaccines, drugs, and both medical and personal protective equipment worldwide, Chinese doctors became inevitable heroes, celebrated for helping countries whose health systems almost succumbed to the weight of the pandemic.
