Buddhist diplomacy not only a tool for major states

The use of Buddhism in foreign policy is practiced not only by China and India but also by smaller states like Bhutan and Singapore, writes Jack Meng-Tat Chia in The Diplomat (August 5). The article looks at how “China has positioned itself as a center of Mahayana Buddhist civilization, sponsoring international Buddhist forums, restoring sacred sites, and weaving Buddhist heritage into its Belt and Road Initiative,” while India emphasizes its role as the birthplace of Buddhism (in pilgrimages and relics lent abroad). Bhutan, the world’s only official Vajrayana Buddhist kingdom, embeds Buddhism in its monarchy and national identity, using it to safeguard its sovereignty between India and China. It also uses it to strengthen ties with Thailand through royal exchanges and initiatives like the Gelephu Mindfulness City project, a special administrative region that aims to build a Singapore-inspired economic hub aiming at “Mindful Prosperity” while maintaining the ethos of Bhutanese culture (South China Morning Post, Nov. 25, 2025). 

“Buddhism serves as a shared cultural and symbolic language through which the two Buddhist monarchies deepen their bilateral relations,” Chia writes. The famous concept of “Gross National Happiness” is linked to the desire of preserving Buddhist culture as well. Singapore, secular and multireligious, instead uses Buddhist heritage as a diplomatic tool for enhancing the country’s relevance by connecting Asian powers. This has been illustrated by monk Hong Choon’s networks in Thailand and China, and also by the former Singaporean minister for Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2011, George Yeo, himself a practicing Catholic, advocating for the revival of Nalanda University. In addition, the author mentions Singapore’s museums as actors in Buddhist diplomacy (e.g., the upcoming Dunhuang exhibition at the Asian Civilizations Museum, organized in collaboration with the Dunhuang Academy in China). Chia concludes that small-state Buddhist diplomacy has no single model, adapting actors and heritage to different political contexts.

Gelephu Mindfulness City website; free download of Jack Meng-Tat Chia (ed.), Figures of Buddhist Diplomacy in Modern Asia, Bloomsbury Academic, 2026: