The role of religion diplomacy in China's foreign policy and its impact on Southeast Asia 2010-2020

Southeast Asian countries have received much attention by the Beijing authorities due to their geopolitical position. Therefore, China has taken effective steps to secure its interests in the region by using various approaches to legitimize its presence and political, economic, and cultural actions and activities in the region. With more emphasis on the soft power approach and using religious diplomacy, Beijing officials have adopted a new strategy to achieve their goal of increasing potential and capabilities in the Southeast Asian region. This study seeks to answer the question: “How has religious diplomacy affected China's foreign policy in Southeast Asia in the years 2010-2020?” The main hypothesis of this article is that “religion diplomacy has influenced Beijing's foreign policy in the Southeast Asian region through the spread of religious exchanges and has led to the enhancement of China's soft power in the region.” The method of this research is analytical-explanatory, and its data and information are collected through library and internet methods. The purpose of this study is to look at religious diplomacy as one of the effective approaches in China's foreign policy in Southeast Asia.