THE ROLE OF BUSINESS ACTOR IN CHINA’S GASTRODIPLOMACY IN INDONESIA: THE CASE STUDY OF SUJI SUAN CAI YU (2020-2025)

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.