“The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people”, said President Xi Jinping, when he emphasized the importance of people-to-people diplomacy in promoting relations among nations. Amid an unstable global environment, fostering people-to-people exchanges is increasingly important as such exchanges can help create a favorable international environment for national development. Hong Kong is well-positioned to facilitate this approach. In addition, strengthening citizen diplomacy dovetails with China’s national strategies and speeds up the development of the city’s proposed “eight centers”, which will boost the special administrative region’s internationality.
Citizen diplomacy started in 1945, and with globalization throughout the 20th century, citizen diplomacy became more widespread, and it was advocated in various fields, from cultural exchanges to education. People-to-people exchanges and cooperation have been crucial elements of China’s modern foreign policy. This approach has gained significance since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2017, which has helped to foster a better external environment for the country’s diplomatic development.
Today, citizen diplomacy is embraced globally as a complement to the existing diplomatic machinery of the state. It is also known as “Track Two Diplomacy”, which involves an informal interaction between members of nonallied groups or nations, aiming to develop strategies, influence public opinion, and organize human and material resources to resolve bilateral conflicts. This process is designed to assist official leaders in resolving conflicts by exploring possible solutions out of public view without formal negotiation or bargaining for advantage.
Hong Kong is known as an international city with a diverse, well-educated population, a vibrant lifestyle, and a welcoming international community. According to the International Exchange Centers Index 2022, Hong Kong ranks among the top 10 in the world in political, economic and cultural exchanges, making it ideal for promoting international people-to-people connectivity. Hong Kong should leverage “one country, two systems” and other advantages to fulfill its role as a superconnector and work in concert with the nation’s diplomatic strategy in various citizen diplomatic fields, including, inter alia, the business community, people-to-people connections, cultural exchanges, and education.
The business community can play a significant role in citizen diplomacy by developing a positive reputation in the foreign business community through seeking mutually beneficial opportunities. This can create a space for the business community to influence foreign stakeholders to adopt a more-friendly foreign policy. Hong Kong plays an important role in global trade. According to the World Trade Organization, in 2022, Hong Kong was the 10th-largest goods-trading economy in the world and the 23rd-largest commercial services economy. To leverage Hong Kong’s global economic and trade network advantages, it is recommended to encourage Hong Kong’s chambers of commerce, and its entrepreneurs and professionals to collaborate with business partners and government leaders in other places to promote the Hong Kong story.
Strengthening citizen diplomacy dovetails with China’s national strategies and speeds up the development of the city’s proposed “eight centers”, which will boost the special administrative region’s internationality
Locally, the business community can organize regular exchange activities to strengthen ties and consolidate relationships with foreign business groups. This will help promote Hong Kong’s story. It is advantageous to communicate with foreign businesses operating locally because they have firsthand experience of the actual situation in Hong Kong. This allows the local business community to debunk any misinformation regarding Hong Kong effectively. Additionally, foreign businesses operating in Hong Kong may help disseminate information about the situation in Hong Kong to their contacts back home.
For instance, in March, the Hong Kong textiles industry invited the ASEAN Federation of Textile Industries to tour scientific research institutes and factories in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. During the visit, members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee hosted a seminar on the two sessions for the guests. They explained China’s latest development direction, policies, Hong Kong’s role, and business opportunities. This kind of information helps visitors make informed investment decisions and better understand China’s progress.
A recent study on how entrepreneurs can practice citizen diplomacy found that the perceptions and attitudes of foreign business communities are largely influenced by the experiences of foreign businesspeople when cooperating with local businesspeople. To promote Hong Kong’s values in the international community, this study report recommends that local enterprises and professionals demonstrate good Hong Kong business culture, including efficiency and integrity when conducting business with foreign organizations. This will help establish a positive perception of Hong Kong in foreign business circles.
Moreover, local business organizations can help to maintain the confidence of foreign businesses operating in Hong Kong. This can be achieved by clarifying various Hong Kong issues that concern foreign companies. For instance, some Western media outlets are biased against Hong Kong’s national security laws, claiming that they harm Hong Kong’s business environment. Hong Kong’s chambers of commerce can provide explanations during regular exchange meetings with their counterparts. Some chambers of commerce have already explained to foreign business groups that Hong Kong’s national security laws have not yet been involved in business-related cases. Thus, chambers of commerce can use their expertise to address specific concerns of the foreign business community. By providing more-targeted and effective explanations to foreign chambers of commerce, they can help alleviate concerns and foster confidence in doing business in Hong Kong.
Lastly, it is recommended that Hong Kong business professionals as well as experts such as architects and legal professionals engage in commercial activities overseas, strengthen their contacts, and establish organizations or liaison mechanisms abroad. Establishing Hong Kong chambers of commerce abroad is one such mechanism that can be very useful. This will not only facilitate Hong Kong people to do business overseas but also provide a channel for contacting the local business community and government officials. This in turn will help in spreading Hong Kong’s story.
It is a common practice for business communities to set up branches of the chamber of commerce in other countries. For example, the United States and the United Kingdom have established corresponding chambers of commerce in Hong Kong. These chambers of commerce have a certain influence on the policies of the SAR government. Therefore, it is feasible for the Hong Kong business community to establish business organizations such as chambers of commerce to enhance their influence in the regions where they operate. However, since Hong Kong’s business community is not active everywhere, it is recommended that it first establish business organizations in economies with more-active business activities. This will provide the necessary conditions for external advocacy.
The author is a researcher at the Silk Road Institute.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
