Sino File | Chinese soft power is a carrot being undermined by a stick
- Beijing’s big spending on soft power will have little effect if it sticks to hard power foreign policies
- Its global influence may be growing, but increasingly it is viewed unfavourably abroad
The former dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University had theorised that in an increasingly complex and multipolar world the constraints of “hard power” – the use of force, threats, coercion, sanctions, etc – were becoming increasingly obvious, and that states had more to gain by focusing instead on “soft power” – using the power of attraction, admiration and persuasion to achieve their goals.
In Nye’s view of this increasingly interconnected and integrated world, the sphere of competition and influence was no longer about dominating land, resources and markets, but more about gaining trust, respect and support. Nye’s concept has had a profound effect on how we view the world. Today, a country’s perceived legitimacy is based on the attractiveness of its ideology and values, its social norms, arts and culture, and its domestic and foreign policies. All these elements contribute to its global status and role in international rule-setting.
“We should increase China’s soft power, give a good Chinese narrative, and better communicate China’s message to the world,” Xi said in 2014.