ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses at how nation states communicate with and present themselves to the world by means of public diplomacy. It starts with a discussion of public diplomacy by looking at its purposes, actors, target audience and its key elements. These elements include listening, advocacy, cultural diplomacy, exchange diplomacy, international broadcasting and psychological warfare. The study deals with Confucius Institutes, cultural diplomacy analysed in more detail than the other elements. The chapter discusses different communication approaches of public diplomacy and analyse how public diplomacy is connected with the related concepts of propaganda and soft power. It also presents the notion of strategic narratives as put forward by Miskimmon, which is seen as a useful alternative to better understand China's public diplomacy efforts. Traditional diplomacy can be described as the external management of state affairs, which is based on self-interest as well as on the particular values and historical experiences that shape a country's identity.
