Decoding the News

“Friendship” and “Culture” in Southeast Asia

David Bandurski

David Bandurski

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached for much of Asia in late September, the propaganda office of the Chinese Communist Party leadership in the southwestern province of Yunnan applied the frames of culture and friendship to promote bilateral relations with key Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia and Vietnam. The office co-organized nearly identical Mid-Autumn Festival galas in Hanoi and Phnom Penh on September 25 and 28 respectively, both called “Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon: Deep Neighborly Affection.” The parallel events revealed how “friendship” (友谊) functions as an organizing principle for China’s foreign policy, and how culture (文化) serves as a vehicle for related messaging.

In Hanoi on September 25, Yunnan propaganda official Cai Xiangrong described China and Vietnam as “friendly neighbors” (友好邻邦) connected by mountains and rivers, emphasizing both geographic and cultural continuities. Vietnamese officials echoed this language, with one stating that cultural similarities “illuminate the broad path of cooperation.” Meanwhile, Chinese state media coverage framed plans for media collaboration between the countries as furthering “cultural integration and mutual understanding between peoples” (促进文化相融、民心相通).Three days later in Phnom Penh, the performances for the Cambodia gala were organized by the Yunnan propaganda office around the theme of “China-Cambodia Friendship” (中柬友谊), and the event featured a historical drama based on the Yuan dynasty envoy Zhou Daguan, who visited the court of Angkor in the 13th century — and is often cited in Chinese accounts as exemplifying early “friendly” relations with Southeast Asia. In language emphasizing emotional ties, Chinese state media described one Cambodian official as saying that “the full moon reflects the long-standing friendship and enduring affection between Cambodia and China.”