Abstract:
Gastrodiplomacy is the act of diplomacy where food plays a role as the main
tool in attracting foreign publics. China, as a global economic and cultural
powerhouse, has actively pursued soft power initiatives, including
gastrodiplomacy. However, in its implementation and studies available, it is shown
that China's gastrodiplomacy is a lack of government involvement and initiatives.
Even though China’s gastrodiplomacy remains largely unstructured, the role of
non-state actors, including restaurants overseas, is predicted to have a contribution
to the growth of China’s soft power implementation. Thus, this study aims to
analyze the role of a Chinese Sichuan restaurant, SUJI Suan Cai Yu, in its
contribution to China's gastrodiplomacy in Indonesia. Using qualitative research
methods that include library research, interviews, surveys, and observation, this
study explores the Chinese culture that is attached to SUJI Suan Cai Yu’s business
operation and its impacts on its consumers—Indonesian people. The findings
highlight that, based on the concept of China's public diplomacy and scholars' views
on non-state actors' status in public diplomacy, SUJI Suan Cai Yu cannot be
categorized as a non-state actor and part of China's gastrodiplomacy. However,
indirectly, a significant impact resulted from its business operations, such as the rise
of Chinese cultural awareness and tourism potential to China within its consumers.
This evidence underlines the role and contributions of SUJI Suan Cai Yu, resulting
in just an ordinary Chinese cultural diffusion under the smart soft power utilization.
This case study underscores the potential of China’s soft power resources
utilization, especially its culture, such as through gastrodiplomacy, to achieve
China’s national interest.
