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China’s soft power

China’s soft power
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China’s soft power. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
There is an emerging trend where foreigners are embracing aspects of Chinese culture by adopting habits such as drinking warm water, herbal teas and wearing slippers indoors. Photo: SCMP composite / TikTok
China technology

Opinion | ‘Becoming Chinese’ memes reflect a world shaped by China’s ascent

The memes are really about how deeply global digital life is embedded in Chinese-built systems – and how comfortable young people are with that.

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Mainland China

A very Chinese time? How memes are paving the way for a soft power shift

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Denmark

Opinion | Cultural exchange with rivals isn’t capitulation. It’s pragmatism

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Hong Kong

Chinese spy? Propagandist? Former Confucius Institute director tells his story

Memoir by former Britain-based academic rebuts accusations that the centres serve as vehicles for Beijing’s state narratives.

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Members of the Confucius Institute at Lancaster University in Bailrigg, England, celebrate the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival. Photo: Handout
Chinese culture

From Labubu to blockbuster films, was 2025 the year of China’s soft power?

Chinese lifestyle brands and other cultural exports proved to be a hit around the world this year, here are some of our most notable stories.

Diplomacy

Editorial | Macron faces a tough but necessary balancing act as he visits China

While trade disagreements have hampered ties between Beijing and Paris, Macron’s trip is important for the development of economic and political ties.

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United States

Pop Mart’s Labubu balloons to debut at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York

A brown Labubu and a pink Mokoko will appear alongside characters such as Skullpanda, Dimoo and Molly on the toymaker’s Pop City float.

A Thanksgiving Day float featuring Pop Mart’s Labubu, right, and Mokoko are displayed during a press preview of the new floats at Macy’s Parade Studio in Moonachie, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | As power balance tips to China, world needs a fairer financial system

China-led macro region will have to work on independence of monetary policy and partnerships in a fairer financial and trade framework.

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US-China relations

Why China studies scholars in the West have been left in ‘crisis’ mode

US-China tensions, restricted access and Western-centric thinking seen as key obstacles to gaining ‘full picture of modern China’.

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US-China relations

‘Hawkish’ interpretations rise as US, China discourse gets lost in translation

In an echo of the Cold War, mistranslations are testing already strained nerves in Washington and Beijing.

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Nikita Khrushchev, then leader of the Soviet Union, addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23, 1960. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | More than a tech hub, Northern Metropolis can be a cradle for culture

By focusing on creative industries, the development can enhance Hong Kong’s soft power push within the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-Africa relations

China targets Gen Z, millennials in new strategy to build its brand in Africa

Kenyan social media stars showcase China’s striking scenery, culture, history and cuisine in glitzy new promotional campaign.

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US-China relations

China stakes a claim on the future with sci-fi and speculative fiction

Liu Cixin’s Three-Body trilogy and other Chinese works may challenge the West’s projection of capitalist society in fiction, experts say.

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China-EU relations

Paris’ new Chinese immigrants spawn ‘authentic’ restaurant boom

Influx of younger, more well-off immigrants to French capital leads to upgrading, expansion of Chinese dining options.

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More “authentic” Chinese restaurants are opening in Paris to cater to a new generation of younger, well-off immigrants. Photo: Agnes Dherbeys
United Nations

Opinion | Hong Kong should be China’s gateway to the United Nations

Putting the UN’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong could help the organisation’s reforms and reinforce Beijing’s vision of global governance.

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Illustration: Stephen Case
Hong Kong stock market

Labubu fever to persist despite Pop Mart’s production surge: HSBC

The bank forecasts that by 2026, each Pop Mart member will buy an average of 1.23 Labubus, up from 0.99 this year.

ByteDance

Editorial | China’s mini dramas may be onto something big

Audiences in Southeast Asia love Chinese micro series. In the US, interest in the format is picking up.

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Cambodia

Video | Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Techo International Airport is the second Chinese-built airport in Cambodia to open in two years.

Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport
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US-China relations

Opinion | No amount of China scapegoating will reverse America’s decline

The real danger is not China becoming great again, but US policymakers and commentators failing to confront the cause of domestic problems.

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China’s military drills

China’s allies give top marks for parade but the West is not won over

Russia, Iran and Cuba credit the host with showcasing the strength of the Chinese military.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s trade charm offensive falls on deaf ears among US security allies

Centuries of shared identity, security integration and cultural allegiance bind these nations irreversibly to the US strategic architecture.

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US President Donald Trump attends a Nato summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25. Photo: Reuters

The rise of China’s soft power

Explore how China wields soft power through language, media and culture, reshaping global perceptions and narratives.

The rise of China’s soft power
China-UK relations

Opinion | London must look within, not towards Beijing, to fix academic woes

Instead of worrying about political interference from abroad, UK higher education administrators should deal with institutional decay at home.

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US-China relations

Trump’s overhaul of State Department may play into Beijing’s hands for decades

US foreign service has lost more than 3,000 employees and dozens of bureaus, leaving China with largest diplomatic corps.

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Science

Exclusive | For university that bridges China and West, geopolitics is ‘biggest challenge’

Easing visa restrictions for foreign students and visitors could help to improve understanding of China, head of XJTLU says.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s safeguarding of cultural heritage signals its global ambition

For China, the protection of antiquities is not just about safeguarding objects of its past – it is about defining its place in the future.

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China’s Western Xia imperial tombs in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region were officially added to the Unesco World Heritage list in July 2025. Photo: Xinhua
US-China relations

Labubu, soft power of a stealthy ‘ugly-cute’ sort, takes on America

The Chinese-made dolls, a playful global megahit, give Beijing an opportunity to make inroads into deep US distrust.

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US-China relations

‘Huge shift’: why learning Mandarin is losing its appeal in the West

Available figures suggest enthusiasm is waning after years of rapid growth, with analysts pointing to China’s economy and image problems.

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