https://www.scmp.com/rss/503783/feed Daniel A. Bell is dean of the school of political science and public administration at Shandong University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In a bid to shape international public opinion about China, President Xi Jinping told senior officials that the country needed to present a more “credible, lovable, and respectable” image of China. This surprising formulation is more than a call to tame the “Wolf Warrior” rhetoric. The key word here is ke ai, translated by the official media as “lovable”. But ke ai literally means “cute”. The idea of cuteness as soft power may seem odd on the face of it. But the rapid spread of what we can term... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3138418/how-cute-baby-elephant-sheds-light-chinas-quest-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3138418/how-cute-baby-elephant-sheds-light-chinas-quest-soft-power?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jun 2021 00:30:17 +0000 Unfavorable views of China have reached historic highs, especially in the West. Even China’s achievements – such as combating Covid-19 at home – are viewed negatively. What went wrong? Some Western media outlets are prone to seeing China as a monolith, characterised by human rights abuses, ethnic division and oppression, and a repressive state. There is less willingness to recognise China’s laudable performance in improving people’s living standards, its vivid social life and tremendous internal... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127609/improve-chinas-image-globally-welcome-foreigners-and-let-them-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127609/improve-chinas-image-globally-welcome-foreigners-and-let-them-be?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Mar 2021 20:00:16 +0000 A constant refrain on the Canadian left is that Canada should have an independent foreign policy. Leftist critics of the Canadian government argue that the government should free Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou from captivity because Canada should not be bound by US foreign policy. The conclusion is correct, but the reasoning is flawed. As a weak power in international relations – in terms of population size, economic heft and military influence – Canada cannot have an independent foreign policy. Like... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3114037/us-canada-ties-will-survive-ending-extradition-huaweis-meng-wanzhou?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3114037/us-canada-ties-will-survive-ending-extradition-huaweis-meng-wanzhou?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Dec 2020 17:00:19 +0000 It’s tempting to blame China’s rigidly hierarchical political system for the coronavirus crisis. Conscientious professionals who shared early worries about the virus were muzzled by political leaders in Wuhan, and the cover-up delayed an appropriate public health response. Rather than consider the scientific merits of the case, the Wuhan authorities let political considerations get in the way of public health.  Why did local authorities punish those who tried to alert the public instead of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3074850/chinas-coronavirus-response-and-italys-struggles-show-benefits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3074850/chinas-coronavirus-response-and-italys-struggles-show-benefits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2020 07:00:10 +0000 Here in China, it is hard to be optimistic. Hundreds of people are dying from a new and scary virus, schools are closed and workplaces are largely deserted. It is China’s worst crisis in decades. We pray for the resumption of “normal” life as soon as possible. But the Book of Changes – China’s foundational text for both Confucianism and Taoism – reminds us that the most difficult circumstances also give rise to positive changes. Positive trends are already under way. We must resist wishful... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051402/coronavirus-holds-mirror-chinas-problems-and-nation-will-be-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3051402/coronavirus-holds-mirror-chinas-problems-and-nation-will-be-better?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2020 01:00:09 +0000