The resurgence of multipolarity has altered international politics as global influence spreads over Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. There is no dominant state. Rather, emerging powers vie for control over institutions, norms, values, and narratives. Strategic mistrust has emerged as one of the distinguishing characteristics of international affairs in such a setting. Countries are increasingly assuming the worst about rival behavior, misinterpreting each other’s intentions, and interpreting policies through ideological bias.
However, one strategy is still underutilized and frequently misinterpreted in the midst of this rivalry: cultural diplomacy. In contrast to traditional diplomacy, which negotiates interests, cultural diplomacy fosters understanding, which is strategically essential in a world divided by mistrust.
Why Mistrust Intensifies in a Multipolar Order
Unlike the predictable structure of bipolar or unipolar systems, multipolarity is fluid, competitive, and ambiguous. Three dynamics drive mistrust:
Competing Civilizational Narratives: Powers increasingly promote their own identity-based worldviews from discussions about the “Rise of China” to debates about the “rules-based international order.” When narratives clash, mutual suspicion rises.
Information Fragmentation and Digital Polarization: Disinformation campaigns and social-media echo chambers inflate stereotypes and worsen perceptions. States are more likely to assume hostile intent when information is distorted.
Historical Grievances Resurfacing: From colonial legacies in Africa to border disputes in Asia, unresolved memories shape today’s mistrust.
Understanding these underlying sensitivities is difficult through formal negotiations alone. That is where cultural diplomacy enters building context, empathy, and human connection.
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How Cultural Diplomacy Reduces Strategic Mistrust
It Humanizes the “Other” Through People-to-People Contact
Educational exchanges, academic partnerships, and youth programs such as the Fulbright Program or Erasmus+ allow future leaders to interact beyond geopolitical lenses. These networks help maintain trust even when relations deteriorate at the governmental level.
It Creates Shared Cultural Spaces
Joint festivals, film exchanges, museum partnerships, and heritage collaborations help nations discover cultural common ground. UNESCO’s cultural initiatives show how shared heritage builds long-term familiarity, reducing the psychological distance between states.
It Allows States to Signal Peaceful Intentions
Cultural centers such as the British Council or China’s Confucius Institutes shape international perceptions of openness, creativity, and constructive engagement. Even when there is strategic competition, these signals of soft power reduce the likelihood of misreading benign actions as threatening.
It Counters Hostile Narratives
Cultural diplomacy weakens misinformation by offering alternative stories grounded in real human experiences. Research by the Soft Power 30 Index illustrates that cultural influence improves trust levels and reduces susceptibility to negative propaganda.
It Works Beyond Government Politics
Unlike official diplomacy, cultural diplomacy is often carried out by universities, artists, journalists, civil society, and diasporas. Its decentralized nature makes it less threatening and more relatable, helping reduce zero-sum interpretations.
Examples of Cultural Diplomacy Improving Relations
China and Western States: Despite tensions, academic exchanges and city-to-city cultural projects have kept communication channels alive. Scholars note that cultural diplomacy helps Western states better understand China’s domestic context and reduces exaggerated threat perceptions.
India and the Gulf States: India’s cultural outreach through yoga diplomacy, Bollywood soft power, and diaspora engagement has strengthened relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These cultural bridges softened mistrust rooted in labor, migration, and security issues.
European Union and the Global South: Europe’s cultural diplomacy through initiatives like EUNIC has helped rebuild trust with regions that often view Western influence with skepticism. Cultural engagement creates goodwill even when political disagreements remain.
South Korea’s Hallyu Wave: K-pop, Korean dramas, and film have dramatically transformed regional perceptions. South Korea’s cultural rise has eased historical tensions, particularly in Southeast Asia.
These cases demonstrate that cultural diplomacy doesn’t merely add “softness” to foreign policy it shapes the strategic environment itself.
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Limits and Risks of Cultural Diplomacy
Cultural diplomacy cannot fix deep geopolitical fractures on its own. It must be paired with transparent communication, fair economic engagement, and respect for cultural sovereignty.
If cultural diplomacy becomes too political or propagandistic, it increases mistrust as seen in the backlash against some global cultural centers. Ensuring authenticity is crucial.
In a multipolar world defined by competing powers, unpredictable alliances, and rising ideological polarization, mistrust is not simply a psychological problem it is a strategic threat.
Cultural diplomacy offers a pathway out of this mistrust. It builds empathy, familiarity, and long-term understanding foundations that traditional diplomacy frequently overlooks.
It cannot replace hard diplomacy, but it can soften the environment in which states negotiate, reducing the risk of miscalculation.
In an era where mistrust fuels rivalry, cultural diplomacy fuels connection. And connection, increasingly, is strategic power.
*The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not represent TDI. The contributor is responsible for the originality of this piece.
Hafsa Nawaz
Hafsa Nawaz is a student of International Relations, with research interests in diplomacy, soft power, and identity politics. She can be reached at hafsanawaz42@gmail.com
