ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of non-state actors who had been a missing actor in the examination of China’s public diplomacy practices. It examines the development and conduct of public diplomacy as a means to generate soft power in China in general, Martial Arts diplomacy in particular. Globalisation and commercialisation, accompanied by the revival of traditional culture, are strong forces driving the convergence of interests between state and non-state actors. Sate actors are concerned with realising foreign policy goals, while cross-border Tai Chi Quan communities and associations are motivated by economic opportunities, family honour, and their belief in promoting Tai Chi Quan as an important part of traditional Chinese culture. The diffusion of both power and responsibility from government to non-state actors, the involvement of non-state actors, the network structure of their relationships, and the different modes of collaborative and two-way communications have given rise to a multitude of public diplomacy practices.
