China is a major power deeply involved in globalization. From the view of total GDP, trade scale, foreign investment or geopolitical and geo-economic influence, China needs to have more forward-looking insights and higher levels of communication. In addition to this, China needs to have a better understanding of international rules and international language, more effective strategies and means and participation in a variety of international affairs.
How then should China achieve these goals? In addition to the improvement of its hard and soft powers, the development and cultivation of high-level think tank-based research is an urgent and important priority for China. As the first independent strategic think tank in China to be established overseas, Anbound has had seven years of developmental experience in ASEAN. Our observation and experience show that, as an influential major power, China presently and in the future urgently requires high-level, pragmatic, objective and constructive think tank research to provide quality decisional support for strategic decision-making and policy formulation for the country.
In an international exchange of think tanks, while discussing on the topic of think tank research and government diplomacy, certain professionals mentioned that the research and exchange of high-level think tanks is a good complement and can provide independent support to government diplomacy. All these while, national diplomacy is led by the government. For example, the head of state's diplomacy is of strategic importance and rather crucial. However, national diplomacy does not just depend on leaders on the forefront, it also requires more forward-thinking and research participation from think tanks. Obviously, in this new era China has increasing demand for high-level think tank research. In this regard, President Xi Jinping's suggestions and instructions on strengthening the construction of a new type of think tank with Chinese characteristics are very timely and far-sighted.
Since the 18th National Congress, China has invested a lot of resources in developing local think tanks and has given a variety of proper support. With the guidance of resources and policies, the "think tank fever" phenomenon has rapidly warmed up in China. Institutions with the name of think tanks have mushroomed, and within a short period of time, things appeared to be good for think tanks. On a think tank related ranking list in the United States, the number of think tanks in China is second only to the United States. The "Think Tank Fever" has also spawned the fever of think tank ranking, and it is estimated that China will soon begin to offer "think tank studies". However, despite the support for national decision-making, the promotion of China's social development and the improvement of the level of public policy research, the research level of various types of think tanks in China is not quite up to the standard. Objectively speaking, compared with the development of China's economy, military and its science and technology, the quality and research of China's think tank development is still an obvious shortcoming.
On March 18 this year, the 2018 China Think Tank Report (Chinese version) was launched, and the Chinese Think Tank Quality Development seminar was held at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. This report contained serious reflections and evaluations on the development and influence of Chinese think tanks. The report believes that Chinese think tank's development is facing the following problems:
Firstly, the vision of the think tanks' development is unable to keep up with the current development, and is lacking in a forward-looking attitude and strategic research. Chinese think tanks, especially those within the establishment, value academic qualifications. Hence, their researchers' experience tend to be more monolithic, and their views are limited. They can only focus on the current issues in government decision-making. The research shows that there are many inductive studies, but few prospective studies, with more literatures and less field research. One can also see that there are many academic papers with few suggestions that could be operated and worked on, and not many strategic studies in problem solving.
Next, the ability of thank tanks' development is unable to keep up with the current situation, and the level of specialization of results is not high. There are unhealthy tendencies among Chinese think tanks rushing to research on the same topics, while some think tanks have no specified research fields at all and they only conduct research projects on the current popular issues. There is a lack of understanding of the real problems that need long-term tracking. This is especially true under the "think tank fever", as there are many jack-of-all-trades researchers trapped in the vicious circle of resource-based competition between the think tanks. This low-level development has reduced the good quality researches in the ideological market and undermined the ecological environment for the development of think tanks.
Thirdly, think tank development cognition is unable to keep up with the current situation, and it is difficult for think tanks to play an effective role. Some local authorities' attitudes toward think tanks are more towards "regulating" rather than "utilizing" them. They appear to think that think tanks, especially social think tanks, are thorns in the flesh for government departments, which will bring pressure and trouble to decision-making systems and policy processes. Some independent think tanks and social think tanks are still regarded as "outsiders", and are excluded from the decision-making process, as well as from government resources.
Fourthly, the think tank evaluation system is unable to adapt to the current situation and there is a misunderstanding that researches should only conducted based on what is instructed. Think tanks should be a bridge connecting professional knowledge and public policy. Multi-subject participation is a necessary condition for the construction of ideological market. Therefore, the influence pursued by think tanks should have multiple attributes, and the influence of decision-making cannot be limited to the "leadership's instructions". Currently, the evaluation system in the construction of China's think tanks is biased. In general, think tanks mostly follow what is being instructed, which results in the evaluation of the results of said think tanks according to the leadership.
Lastly, the way in which think tanks are transmitted is not up-to-date, and it is difficult to communicate effectively in international dialogue. China's think tanks are accustomed to the transformation and dissemination of results in China, however it is difficult for them to communicate effectively at the international level. Such Chinese think tanks spend a lot of money every year internationally, but the results are limited. Their frequent overseas visits only allow them to be at the level of mutual understanding, and the results are not optimistic.
In addition to the above issues, Anbound's researchers also learned that many Chinese think tanks are keen on activities and visits, having meetings, engaging in activities, taking photos, then publishing these online with the thought that this would accomplish what a think tank should do. Many think tanks have no research results at all, and there is no platform for the external dissemination of views. There is also a lack of quality exchange of views. Naturally, this will not bring real influence locally and abroad, and it will be more difficult for think tanks to obtain professional respect locally and internationally.
Final analysis conclusion:
In the context of favorable environment, there are realistic needs of public policy research that China's think-tank scholars keep their sustainable development. In addition to this, the government provides the national funding to support research programs. Unfortunately, China's think tank as a whole is still having obvious shortcomings, far from taking up the roles that match up to China's development and influence.
