At present, Chinese think tanks do not have a level of international influence that matches China’s national strength. Since it is generally believed that it is the duty of media to enhance international communication capabilities, little attention has been paid to the role think tanks play in communication as a significant outlet for public discourse.
 

Confined to the interpretation and explanation of policies, Chinese think tanks seldom put forward concepts or strategic phrases that dominate international discourse. Instead, they take part in the discussion under the framework proposed by other countries.
 

Especially in response to such concepts as the “China threat,” “China collapse” and “Chinese responsibility” put forward by institutions in other countries, Chinese think tanks adopt a passive posture and all of their efforts are dedicated to damage control.
 

Tan Kong Yam, a renowned Singaporean economist, has suggested that China should propose its own paradigm that celebrates “China’s contribution.” However, Chinese think tanks regard this as a different, positive commentary on the rise of China. They have failed to further research and develop it into a counterweight against negative portrayals of China nor is it capable of having influence on world opinion.
 

Western think tanks look at social influence as the key to their vitality. They pursue international communication through such channels as articles for well-known media, professional journals and works, and high-level international forums that influence public opinion and government decisions at home and abroad.
 

By comparison, Chinese think tanks are satisfied with reporting achievements to decision-making authorities for approval and are not savvy when it comes to promoting their research results to the outside world.
 

First, they are not adept at turning achievements into resources that can affect global opinion through mass media. Second, they have published few journals and works that have international influence.
 

Western think tanks have a mature modus operandi that covers the entire process from selection of subjects to marketing, ensuring that their publications can become bestsellers in related fields while enabling them to introduce topics for debate and influence public opinion. For instance, Kenneth Lieberthal, a famous American expert on China and former director of the John L. Thornton China Center of the Brookings Institution, has spent three decades studying China and Asia as a whole and written numerous works that not only have attracted attention from the media but also affected American policy on China.

By contrast, writings by scholars of Chinese think tanks have little international influence, and very few scholars have published English works in the US and Europe.
 

Third, they have had little presence in international forums. Moreover, Chinese think tanks fall far short of Western counterparts in terms of collaborating with foreign think tanks and establishing local branches.
 

Currently, some Chinese think tanks, especially those in colleges and universities, do not communicate adequately with decision-makers, which has led to discrepancy between research subjects and actual needs as well as an overemphasis on pure academic research. As a result, government departments should enhance information transparency, strengthen communication and steer research to conform to the needs of the present situation.
 

Since most Chinese think tanks only study current domestic affairs, authorities should encourage them to broaden the scope of research and pay attention to global, strategic and prospective problems that are closely related to China, such as problems of energy, environmental protection, sustainable development and terrorism. Chinese think tanks should strive to put forward ideas, catchphrases and views in these fields that can spark off heated discussion among other nations.
 

Furthermore, it is important to make supportive policies for think tanks that have been making advances in terms of international communication to help other think tanks develop awareness in this respect. It is also necessary to encourage media to publicize research results externally, in particular to translate and report the achievements in order to spread the voice of Chinese think tanks to the international community.
 

Also, emphasis should be put on the publication of multilingual journals, works and the establishment of plurilingual websites. Experts and scholars should be encouraged to publish essays through well-known international media outlets, journals and to be open to interviews to improve the understanding of overseas think tanks toward domestic affairs and positions. Lastly, a favorable environment is needed to promote exchanges between domestic and overseas think tanks and encourage Chinese think tanks to host, participate in international forums.

 

Wang Mei is from the Postdoctoral Research Center of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Center for International Communication Studies.