China's "Flattery" Diplomacy

For those of us who used to watch (or are still watching) the nightly national bulletins (新闻联播) on prime-time Chinese television, it is clear that top Chinese leaders' meetings with foreign dignitaries usually dominate the first half of the bulletin.

According to Phillip C. Saunders, Beijing emphasizes form and hospitality to ensure that foreign leaders have enjoyable visits, thus creating "an implicit sense of obligation." (China's Global Activism: Strategy, Drivers and Tools, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University Press, Washington DC, October 2006).

"This tactic is particularly effective with leaders of smaller countries, who are often flattered by the attention."

China also pressures diplomatic partners to make concessions or enter into agreements to make high-level visits successful. For example, Philippine President Arroyo's September 2004 visit to Beijing was upgraded from an official visit to a state visit once the Philippines agreed to sign a joint agreement for seismic exploration in the South China Sea, and to recognize China as a market economy.