Soft power of China

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The soft power of China is the indirect and non-military influence of the People's Republic of China that can be observed outside the country around the world. [1] While soft power as a concept can be summarized as "get others to do your bidding" without resorting to hard power, it has been argued that the Chinese government uses a different approach (especially in developed countries) to "get others to stop harming your image" which is more in line with its domestic policies. [2]

Contents

Soft power rankings

China ranked 2nd out of 20 nations in the Elcano Global Presence Report for 2018 by the Elcano Royal Institute. The report noted that China's Reputation ranking (24th) was considerably lower than its Influence ranking (2nd). [3]

According to the 2019 Asia Power Index, China takes the lead in diplomatic influence and ranks 2nd out of 25 countries in cultural influence after the US. [4] [5]

China's ranked 27th out of 30 nations in the Soft Power 30 index for 2018 and 2019 published by Portland Communications and the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. According to the index, China is a "cultural juggernaut", being ranked 8th in the Culture category and 10th in the Engagement category. [6]

China is ranked 3rd out of 193 nations in the Global Soft Power Index 2024 published by Brand Finance, a brand evaluation consultancy. Its rise faster than any other nation brand in the Index. [7]

Global influence and diplomacy

China's traditional culture has been a source of attraction, building on which it has created several hundred Confucius Institutes around the world to teach its language and culture. The enrollment of foreign students in China has increased from 36,000 a decade ago[ when? ] to at least 240,000 in 2010. [8] China is the most popular country in Asia for international students, [9] the leading destination globally for Anglophone African students, [10] and the second most popular education power house in the world. [11] China's Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has attracted many western countries to join. [12] Increasing political pressure and scrutiny around the Confucius Institutes have led to some closures. [13]

China has the largest diplomatic network in the world, overtaking the US in 2019. [14]

A spring 2014 Global Attitudes survey from Pew Research Center states China receives mostly positive reviews in the sub-Saharan African nations polled, although South Africans are closely divided (45% favorable, 40% unfavorable). [15] China's increasing soft power can be explained by looking at China's economic growth and regarding economic engagement with many African countries. China's expansion of trade and investment on the African continent and the spread of Chinese-led infrastructure projects gives positive impressions of China to people in Africa[ citation needed ]. China's economic engagement in African countries is considered to be much more pragmatic and in consistency with the priorities of many African countries. Moreover, China's increasing role as a global superpower seems appealing and this drives a desire to tie African economies more closely to China's economy.

Through the use of GONGOs (otherwise known as government-organized non-governmental organizations), China exerts soft power through foreign aid and development in Africa. China has made a systematic effort to expand and give a greater profile to its soft-power policies in Africa ever since the first Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2000. The commitments of China's soft power ranges from health, humanitarian assistance to academic, professional and cultural exchange.

Cultural exchange between China and Africa can be a representative example of how China has been spreading its soft power. In 2005, the first Confucius Institute was established in Africa. The institute is funded by the Chinese government and it provides Chinese language and cultural programming to the public. There are 19 institutes today in Africa and China has planned to spend 20 million RMB for education projects in South Africa, including the teaching of Mandarin in 50 local high schools.

Furthermore, there is an increasing support for cultural visitors programs which gained momentum in 2004 when the African Cultural Visitors Program was established. There is a rising number of African entrepreneurs who choose to move to China and there are also diaspora communities in many Chinese cities that have been found. [16]

Outside of Africa, Chinese soft power extends to countries like Barbados. Barbadian Prime Minister David Thompson expressed admiration for the Chinese economic model and sought to emulate the way Chinese state controlled banks guided development.[ citation needed ] The Chinese soft-power in the Middle East countries has been expanding since the beginning of the millennium, and includes many efforts in the fields of education, journalism, and popular culture. [17]

The use of Chinese medical aid during the COVID-19 pandemic has been dubbed "face-mask diplomacy". [18]

China leveraged the 2022 Winter Olympics to promote and expand its grandiose Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While the world was transfixed on the Olympic competitions, countless delegations of international politicians traveled to Beijing to meet privately Chinese officials in order to carve out trade agreements that would allow their respective countries to become part of the BRI enterprise. [19]

In recent years, China has mainly exported Chinese culture overseas through Chinese video games. [20] For example, one-third of the top 100 mobile games in Japan currently come from China. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

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China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the world's second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and borders fourteen countries by land. With an area of nearly 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third-largest country by total land area. The country is divided into 33 province-level divisions: 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities, and two semi-autonomous special administrative regions. Beijing is the country's capital, while Shanghai is its most populous city by urban area and largest financial center.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle power</span> Type of state

A middle power is a state that is not a superpower or a great power, but still exerts influence and plays a significant role in international relations. These countries often possess certain capabilities, such as strong economies, advanced technologies, and diplomatic influence, that allow them to have a voice in global affairs. Middle powers are typically seen as bridge-builders between larger powers, using their diplomatic skills to mediate conflicts and promote cooperation on international issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hankuk University of Foreign Studies</span> Private university in South Korea

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies is a private research university based in Seoul, in South Korea. The university currently teaches 45 foreign languages. In addition, it contains studies in humanities, law, political science, social sciences, business, medical science, natural sciences, and engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beijing International Studies University</span> Municipal public college in Beijing, China

Beijing International Studies University is a municipal public college of foreign languages in Chaoyang, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with the City of Beijing, and co-funded by the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural diplomacy</span> Exchange of culture between nations

Cultural diplomacy is a type of soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpose of cultural diplomacy is for the people of a foreign nation to develop an understanding of the nation's ideals and institutions in an effort to build broad support for economic and political objectives. In essence "cultural diplomacy reveals the soul of a nation", which in turn creates influence. Public diplomacy has played an important role in advancing national security objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confucius Institute</span> Chinese international educational partnership program

Confucius Institutes are public educational and cultural promotion programs funded and arranged currently by the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF), a government-organized non-governmental organization (GONGO) under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. The Confucius Institute program was formerly under Hanban, another organization under the Ministry of Education. The stated aim of the program is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilitate cultural exchanges.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanban</span> PRC Ministry of Education body

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cool Japan</span> Japanese brand strategy

Cool Japan refers to the aspects of Japanese culture that non-Japanese people perceive as "cool". After the success of "Cool Britannia," the Japanese government started using the phrase. The Cool Japan strategy is part of Japan's overall brand strategy, aiming to disseminate Japan's attractiveness and allure to the world. The target of Cool Japan "encompasses everything from games, manga, anime, and other forms of content, fashion, commercial products, Japanese cuisine, and traditional culture to robots, eco-friendly technologies, and other high-tech industrial products".

The Confucius Institute (CI) program, which began establishing centers for Chinese language instruction in 2004, has been the subject of criticisms, concerns, and controversies during its international expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Morocco relations</span> Bilateral relations

China–Morocco relations refer to the bilateral relations between China and Morocco. China and Morocco established diplomatic relations on November 1, 1958. Morocco establishes 'strategic partnership' with China in 2016, stronger partnership with China is sign that Morocco is seeking political and economic partners far from its traditional markets.

Taiwan Academy are non-profit public institutes with a stated aim of promoting Mandarin language, Traditional Chinese characters, and research on Taiwan-related topics. The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (ROC) established the Taiwan Academy in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Community of Common Destiny</span> Chinese Communist Party policy

Community of common destiny for mankind, officially translated as community with a shared future for mankind or human community with a shared future, is a political slogan used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to describe a stated foreign-policy goal of the People's Republic of China. The phrase was first used by former CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao and has been frequently cited by current General Secretary Xi Jinping. As the term's usage in English has increased, "shared future" has become more frequently used than "common destiny," as the latter arguably implies a predetermined path. The phrase was included in the CCP Constitution in 1997, and the preamble of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China when the Constitution was amended in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese imperialism</span> Expansion of Chinas political, economic, military, and cultural influence

Chinese imperialism refers to the expansion of China's political, economic, and cultural influence beyond the boundaries of the People's Republic of China. Depending on the commentator, it has also been used to refer to its artificial islands in the South China Sea and the persecution of Uyghurs in China. Although there has not been a long-standing imperial regime in China since the 1911 Revolution and the country is officially a People's Republic, some refer to China as an imperialist country. This includes socialist parties in the Pacific such as the New People's Army, the Japanese Communist Party, some Maoist parties, and the New Left. China's relations with Africa have also been accused of being "neo-colonialism".

Jonathan Sullivan is a British political scientist and Sinologist who researches political communications in China, Taiwan and other East Asian contexts, China's Internet and cyber-nationalism, studies of the Confucius Institutes, and China's politics of celebrity culture, hip hop and football.

References

  1. ↑ Edney, Kingsley; Rosen, Stanley; Zhu, Ying, eds. (2020). Soft power with Chinese characteristics : China's campaign for hearts and minds. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. ISBN   978-1-351-80435-6. OCLC   1130023014.
  2. ↑ Yıldırım, Nilgün Eliküçük; Aslan, Mesut (2020). "China's Charm Defensive: Image Protection by Acquiring Mass Entertainment". Pacific Focus. 35 (1): 141–171. doi:10.1111/pafo.12153. ISSN   1976-5118. S2CID   219114363.
  3. ↑ "Elcano Global Presence Report" (PDF). Elcano Global Institute. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "CHINA". Lowy Institute Asia Power Index. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index". www.lowyinstitute.org. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  6. ↑ "China". Soft Power. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  7. ↑ "Global Soft Power Index 2024: USA and UK ranked top nation brands, China takes third place". Modern Diplomacy. 2024-03-01.
  8. ↑ Nye, Joseph S. (2012-01-17). "Why China Is Weak on Soft Power". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
  9. ↑ "International Student Mobility: Patterns and Trends". WENR. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
  10. ↑ Breeze, Victoria (27 June 2017). "China tops US and UK as destination for anglophone African students". The Conversation. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "China's 2020 target: reshaping global mobility flows". EAIE. 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  12. ↑ "With New Bank, China Shows U.S. It's Got Soft Power". Forbes. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Colleges move to close Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes amid increasing scrutiny". www.insidehighered.com. Archived from the original on 2020-01-19. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  14. ↑ "China now has the most diplomatic posts worldwide". BBC News. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  15. ↑ "Global Opposition to U.S. Surveillance and Drones, but Limited Harm to America's Image". Pew Research Center. 2014-07-14. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  16. ↑ Jennifer G. Cooke. China's soft power in Africa; "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2012-06-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ↑ Yellinek, Roie; et al. (2020-03-01). "Chinese 'Soft Power Pipelines Diffusion' (SPPD) to the Middle Eastern Arab Countries 2000-2018: A Discursive-Institutional Study". British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. 48 (5): 941–959. doi:10.1080/13530194.2020.1732870. ISSN   1353-0194. S2CID   213061595.
  18. ↑ Waterson, Jim; Kuo, Lily (2020-04-03). "China steps up western media campaign over coronavirus crisis". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2020-04-05. Retrieved 2020-04-06.
  19. ↑ "Sport: A "Soft Power" Component Of China's Belt & Road Initiative". Boxscore World Sportswire. 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
  20. ↑ "电子游戏已经成为输出中国文化的重要载体". The Paper (in Chinese (China)). 19 October 2022.
  21. ↑ "中國手遊《原神》紅遍全球 紐時：中國正改變全球電子遊戲業". HK01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 20 March 2022.
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