Soft Power In China

I. Introduction

There is widespread acceptance of Joseph Nye’s characterization of soft power, which emphasizes the attainment of results through attraction, rather than coercion. Nye’s framework outlines a country’s sources of attraction as culture, political values, and foreign policies with internationally consented credibility and moral authority. While the original definition of soft power was more restrictive – not including diplomacy, economic investment and development, and foreign aid – a number of analysts have extended Nye’s original definition of soft power to comprise nonmilitary tools.

China’s skyrocketing economic expansion and the need for political clout, natural resources and export markets has led to Beijing’s intensified engagement with developing countries. China's burgeoning superstate status provides the country with an opportunity to propagate an attractive alternative route to modernity and development. Soft power tools further enhance China’s position by simultaneously projecting a non-threatening visage to the developing world. Consequently, soft power has gained considerable attention in scholarly and official dialogue in China . Political leaders and academia have emphasized that that China should endeavor to enhance its soft power. The popularity of the soft power concept could be linked to Beijing’s eagerness to reinforce the peaceful nature of a rising China and to allay fears of a Chinese threat to the world.

Existing mainstream literature regarding Chinese soft power primarily focuses on the popularity of the concept in China and the tools China utilizes to cultivate soft power and refine its image and position in the global system. China’s cultivation of soft power in the developing world,...

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...ses in this arena. While China’s growing soft power might be negative for developing countries, this does not mean the U.S. should always endeavor to balance against Chinese soft power. Some of China’s soft power supports U.S. regional equities, and some negative consequences of Chinese soft power must be left to developing nations to manage. Overall, Chinese soft power can be a constructive force multiplier that bolsters peace and stability in developing states. Conversely, China’s new leadership could continue to play the prestige politics game and advance national priorities to minimize the influence of the United States. Regardless of which direction or trajectory Chinese soft power will take, close scrutiny should continue to determine if China’s soft power strategy will challenge the U.S.’ role in developing states, or provide an opportunity for collaboration.