Translation Series on Public Diplomacy Officially Launched

On the afternoon of August 16th, during the first day of the 2023 Shanghai Book Fair, a book launch event was held at the Friendship Hall on the first floor of the Shanghai Exhibition Center, on which the new book Decent Friendship Wins True Respect and the“Translation Series on Public Diplomacy” were officially released. The event was co-hosted by Shanghai Institute of Public Diplomacy (SIPD), Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association (SPDA) and Shanghai People’s Publishing House (SPPH).

Decent Friendship Wins True Respect: Shanghai’s Public Diplomacy Practice is a collaborative work compiled by Zhou Hanmin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, former Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the CPPCC, Chairman of SPDA, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SIPD. The editorial team also includes members of the Editorial Committee of SIPD and experts from the Expert Advisory Committee of SIPD. Additionally, the event showcased the latest translated works from the firstly domestic-launched“Translation Series on Public Diplomacy” produced by SIPD: “Public Opinion and Twentieth-Century Diplomacy” and “The New Economic Diplomacy”, along with the first batch of translated works of this series published in 2022, “Public Diplomacy” and “City Diplomacy”.

Zhou Hanmin introduced the practical significance and theoretical value of publishing Decent Friendship Wins True Respect and “Translation Series on Public Diplomacy”. He pointed out that public diplomacy is an essential component of a nation’s diplomacy, and the public diplomacy endeavor should always move forward in step with the nation and the times. It should be innovative, forging new paths, exerting persistent effort over the long term, drawing on a wide range of references, and contributing to theoretical developments. Public diplomacy is a collective undertaking where the combined efforts of all contribute to a greater whole. As China’s unique modernization journey unfolds, building communication bridges, drawing upon both domestic and foreign wisdom, fostering people-to-people connections, and presenting a confident, dynamic, and responsible China to the world are all achievable through the realm of public diplomacy.
In the present world, characterized by unprecedented global changes and the convergence of China’s grand rejuvenation strategy, SIPD has rallied diverse forces to document local public diplomacy stories in Shanghai, while concurrently enhancing the translation and research of overseas public diplomacy works. This holds paramount significance for China’s public diplomacy endeavor. The two sets of books, Decent Friendship Wins True Respect and the“Translation Series on Public Diplomacy”, integrate original works with imported content, as well as practice with theory. This not only lays the foundation for establishing a distinctive Chinese approach to public diplomacy theory but also offers intellectual support for public diplomacy practices in the new era, contributing to shaping a positive national image for contemporary China.