China’s efforts to exert soft power globally may be less effective than hoped due to economic conditions and changing perceptions of the U.S. under an Obama administration, the International Herald Tribune reports:
Now, China’s gains as a regional partner and potential counter to U.S. influence are threatened by a slowdown in growth that may reduce its economic clout. At the same time, President Barack Obama’s pledge to reverse Bush-era policies that diminished America’s authority creates added competition for China’s “soft power” – a phrase coined by the Harvard professor Joseph Nye.
The changes may expose China’s Communist government to more scrutiny as the country’s leaders launch a reported 45 billion yuan, or $6.6 billion, program to expand the reach and impact of its state-run media.
“If you want to promote something, you have to make sure the thing you’re promoting is acceptable to other countries,” says Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore. “Soft power means other parties accept your values.”
