CHINA AND U.S.

SOFT POWER – A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Hard Power / Soft Power

Joseph S. Nye, Harvard academic and one of the main authorities in the field of international
relations worldwide. Coined the terminology “Soft Power”.

Power is the ability to get what you want from others. Can be done in three ways: Coercion,
payment (hard power) or attraction/persuasion (soft power). Nations need both.

Hard power: Coercive approach towards international relations. Built around the idea of national
potency and capabilities. At its core, the military and economic faculties of a nation.

Soft power: Built around the idea of influence. Molds log-term attitudes and preferences.

 According to Nye, soft power is the “ability of a country to persuade others to do what it
wants without force or coercion-

Smart Power: Combination between both.

Soft Power in the US. What channels they employ and how they apply it.

What channels are employed by the US?

o Companies
o Foundations
o Universities
o International institutions
o Government institutions
 Department of state’s office of public diplomacy

While state-sponsored soft power is important, the soft power that originates from its society
matters more.

How they apply Soft Power?

o Ideals and Values: Democracy, shared principles (freedom rights).

o Student exchange programs: 100,000 strong programs with China
o Foreign assistance programs: USAID
o Cultural exports like: Movies (Hollywood), soft drinks (coke), fast food chains (McDonald’s)

Chinese approach to Soft Power

Being a totalitarian regime, soft powers originate mainly from the State. China prefers to work
Top-to-Bottom, engaging with state authorities. Not fond of NGO’s and other civilian
organizations.

China invests $10 billion USD annually on soft power-related programs. The US allocates $670
million USD annually. China’s soft power has more influence over Africa and Latin America than in
its immediate region due to territorial disputes and a “closer to home” threat perception.

Confucius Institutes
Confucius Institutes Program (Jintao administration): A set of Educational Institutes that aim at
promoting Chinese language and culture worldwide. It aims at increasing China´s economic,
cultural and diplomatic age.

Silkroad Initiative

Also known as Belt Road Initiative (BRI). Aims at creating modern SilkRoad from Asia to Europe to
connect both regions. It will expand its sphere of influence, help China’s peripheral provinces that
are economically depressed and overall, expand China’s power.

A its fullest, It will involve 65 countries, 60% of the world's population, 35% of global economy and
will cost approximately $4 to $8 billion USD.

Final Notes

Winning hearts and minds is as important as winning wars.

China is, right now, at the same point the US was after WW II; embracing its new role as world
leader and investing resources into soft power projects. – Like de US did with the Marshall Plan
and the eventual International Economic System.

Isolationist trends in the US will create power vacuums that China will fill. – These trends will also
reduce the resources the US invests into their soft power programs.

It is yet unknow if these projects will prove a success for China. – Can they sustain their resource
output? They have invested money on totalitarian regimes as well as war-toned nations that may
not be able to pay back loans,

Both nations are at different stages in history. The US has already gone through a stage of
intensive resource allocation; China is living that stage presently.