‘Understanding of different cultures key to communication’

Yao Yao, director of the Research Center for National Soft Power of China Foreign Affairs University, speaks at a forum Thursday. Lin Jianping

Yao Yao, director of the Research Center for National Soft Power of China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), said at a forum that “For successful international communication, we must boost our awareness of and confidence in Chinese culture, and read more and gain a deep understanding of Chinese and foreign cultures.”

Yao stressed that a deep understanding of Chinese and foreign cultures holds the key to successful international communication.

“If we only get immersed in Chinese culture and neglect foreign cultures, it is difficult to conduct international communication. Likewise, if we only know about the foreign cultures and don’t understand Chinese culture, we’re bound to fail in international communication, and we may even not know who our target audience is,” he explained.