Soft Power

Soft Power examines China's soft power strategies in international politics. Itattempts to analyze the domestic and international views of China's soft power, the main strengths and weaknesses in China's soft power, and the application of soft power in China's international politics.

Soft power has become a very popular concept in international affairs, appearing in government policy papers, academic discussions, and the popular media. In China, soft power has become one of the most frequently used phrases among political leaders, leading academics, and journalists. Defined against hard power, which often involves threat and coercion, soft power applies attraction, persuasion, and cooperation, finding its sources in culture, political values, and foreign policies. China, rich in culture and traditional philosophy, boasts abundant sources of soft power. Soft Power attempts to analyze the domestic and international views of China's soft power, the main strengths and weaknesses of China's soft power, and the application of soft power in China's international politics. It provides a comprehensive exploration of the soft power dimension in China's foreign relations by integrating views from various disciplines, such as history, education, culture, political economy, comparative politics, and philosophy. The book argues that soft power has become a very popular concept in China, that China is contemplating and exploring an innovative strategy in its rise and international politics, and that there have been quite a few notable elements of this in China's diplomatic practice, including softer rhetoric, promotion of the Chinese culture abroad, economic diplomacy, and image building. The book also argues that the limitations of China's soft power primarily stem from political values and China's own transitions, and reflects the reality that views and opinions regarding China's soft power are fairly diverse both in China and in the international arena.

Chapter 1. Introduction. Soft Power: Nurture Not Nature
Part 2 Part One. China's Soft Power: the Debates at Home and Abroad
Chapter 3 Chapter 2. Soft Power in Chinese Discourse: Popularity and Prospect
Chapter 4 Chapter 3. The Discourse of China's Soft Power and Its Discontents
Part 5 Part Two. Soft Power in China's Rising Strategy
Chapter 6 Chapter 4. The New Hard Realities: "Soft Power" and China in Transition
Chapter 7 Chapter 5. The Practice of the Mean: China's Soft Power Cultivation
Chapter 8 Chapter 6. Education: The Intellectual Base of China's Soft Power
Chapter 9 Chapter 7. China's Soft Power Dilemma: The Beijing Consensus Revisited
Chapter 10 Chapter 8. China's Cultural Exports and Its Growing Cultural Power in the World
Part 11 Part Three. Soft Power and China's International Politics
Chapter 12 Chapter 9. China's Soft Power in Africa
Chapter 13 Chapter 10. China's Warming Relations with South Korea and Australia
Chapter 14 Chapter 11. China's Soft Power and Neo-Liberal Agenda in Southeast Asia
Chapter 15 Chapter 12. China's Climate Diplomacy and Its Soft Power
Part 16 Part Four. Conclusion
Chapter 17 Chapter 13. The Prospect of China's Soft Power: How Sustainable?