'Public Diplomacy is a euphemism for propaganda conducted and orchestrated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly and via diplomatic missions' (Berridge: 2005).
Public Diplomacy is the promotion of the national interest of states through 'propaganda', this is the way in which politics evolve in a world of competition and aimed to gain advantages from others at any price; the recent visit of Prime Minister Cameron to China illustrates the above premise, the use of public diplomacy to promote bussiness. The purpose of his presence in China was to promote trade with the UK because of the financial crisis, so it makes sense to look to places such as China it does not matter how far it could be, the most important is to find markets outside Europe in order to grow up the British economy. China want to build up its manufacturing industry and require specialist machinery that the UK can provide. On the other hand, China is the manufacturing workshop of the world that need to sell their products and the UK want to buy but also want a good deal. Although, Mr Cameron achievement is to promote investment from them in UK and to double trade with China by 2015, it's not going to be plain sailing.
Why China?
China will be at the front of the race to become global trade superpower, for this reason China represents a great opportunity for the UK interests. However, this is not a simple welcoming Chinese business into Britain with open arms.
Mr Cameron seems to understand that doing business around the world will make everything a bit better at home. But, I sense a mistake. Mr Cameron had a difficult task to complete: to make some noises about human rights, so how he managed propaganda in his country and outside? I mean he was there with the idea to make business, but he had a duty with the UK public opinion regarding 'human rights'; now the public is uncertain of how well he done, personally I don't think this was a very good idea, but really, how it would work, if a complete strange comes to your house to teach you how to manage your own rules' at home, so why begin with a spot of light criticism?. Chinese welcome business and friendship but not the UK trying to teach and trouble them, the Western countries have had human rights scandals, for this reason do not have qualification to teach Chinese people any lesson. Even more when Mr Cameron explained that it really is not good having a one-party state with censorship of the internet, probably Mr Cameron went so far.
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