This study examines the strategic development of Confucius Institutes (CIs) in Indonesia, highlighting their evolution from tools of China’s cultural diplomacy to integral participants in the country’s educational landscape. While much of the existing research on China’s soft power attributes significance to economic factors such as foreign aid, infrastructure investment, and trade, this paper highlights the often-neglected role of cultural diplomacy through state-sponsored educational institutions. Since 2010, China has established eight CIs in Indonesian universities. These institutes operate under the auspices of the Chinese International Education Foundation (formerly known as Hanban) and adjust their strategies to meet local demands. By building connections with transnational and local actors such as Indonesian universities, ethnic Chinese communities, business groups, and government agencies, CIs have launched initiatives that resonate with local interests, including Mandarin-language classes, cultural festivals, and academic exchanges. This localized strategy has broadened the institutes’ outreach and promoted mutual understanding between Chinese and Indonesian stakeholders. Through qualitative analysis of China’s cultural diplomacy networks, this study contends that CIs in Indonesia serve as effective agents of China’s soft power. Their capacity to operate within local structures and interact with various societal actors enhances their role as influential mechanisms in fostering a positive and culturally relevant representation of China in Indonesia.
Mubah et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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