Chinese Language Competitions as a Tool of China's Cultural Diplomacy in Russia (2000-2020s)

In the recent years, Chinese "soft power" aimed at cultural expansion has become highly significant. Therefore, it is vital to examine the instruments contributing to the spread of China's influence in the world, particularly in terms of strengthening its ties with Russia against the backdrop of the latter's deteriorating relations with Western countries. Moreover, there is a rising interest in the Chinese language and an increasing number and variety of Chinese language competitions in Russia. Even though the methods and tools of Chinese cultural diplomacy are often at the spotlight of scholarship, there is still a lack of research on non-obvious instruments such as Chinese language contests. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine Chinese language competitions and determine their relevance as a means of cultural diplomacy in the intercultural exchange between China and Russia from the 2000s to the 2020s. In this paper, various research methods have been employed including comparison, classification, chronological method, document evaluation technique, descriptive-narrative method, and case study. Besides, text evaluation and descriptive statistics were used to interpret the results of the conducted survey. Thus, the development of Chinese cultural diplomacy in the 21st century and the establishment of educational and cultural relations between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China were analyzed. In addition, a classification of contests held in the Russian Federation was obtained, reflecting their peculiarities. Lastly, based on our research, survey results, and some interviews, it was concluded that competitions have an important but indirect role for intercultural dialogue between Russia and China.