China to portray itself as a benign superpower and reshape global perception has employed soft power strategies. Joseph Nye states, “Soft power is the ability to achieve desired outcomes through attraction rather than coercion. The increase in Chinese influence in the South Asia region, as a result of its interest in soft power which was developed in the late 1990s, was a significant challenge to US hegemony. China’s interest in soft power developed due to several factors such as an increase in its economic growth and military power as well as the need to establish friendly relations with neighboring countries and the realization that issues like Taiwan and the South China Sea cannot be resolved if we resorted to using hard power. All these factors developed Chinese leadership’s interest in using soft power to portray itself as a Benign superpower.
At the beginning of the 21st century, China made enormous efforts to increase its soft power across the world which will help in fulfilling the interest of portraying itself as a Benign Superpower. These attempts were started when President Hu Jintao announced publicly his intentions to build a harmonious world that would be characterized by multi-relations and win-win cooperation. These efforts were intensified under President Xi Jinping era who announced in 2014 that to develop soft power to achieve their desired outcome it is essential to create an efficient communication system and friendly relations with all states of the world. China has used soft power strategies in the past as well to develop relations among its neighbor countries and was successful in establishing a hierarchical system in East Asia by using soft power tools such as kind rule, generosity, and mutual respect in domestic and international relations.
The foundation of Chinese soft power is based on three key pillars: benignity, brilliance, and beauty. The first pillar, benignity, emphasizes that Chinese leadership has deep roots in moral and just authority which is echoing Confucian ideals of wang dao( the kingly way) over ba dao ( the hegemonic way). The second pillar, Brilliance shows China’s economic growth and resilience especially its remarkable recovery from the 2008 Global financial crisis and its contribution to global economic stability as well as its ability to lift millions of people from poverty. The third pillar, the beauty of Chinese soft power has roots in its unique developmental and progressive model, which has been a significant source of attraction among diverse cultures, political systems, and economies all around the world. Chinese soft power strategy also incorporates economic diplomacy through its initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC) which promotes connectivity, trade, and mutual investment programs. One more component that enhances China’s image as a responsible and non-threatening state is that it avoids interference in the internal affairs of the other states which steps from China’s five principles of peaceful coexistence. All the above-mentioned soft power strategies show Chinese efforts to portray themselves as a benign superpower and to reshape global perception.
China is using its cultural values and traditions, which are significant sources of admiration all around the globe, as a soft power tool to strengthen its image as a benign superpower. During President Xi Jinping enormous efforts are made to promote Chinese culture and one key milestone achieved is the establishment of over 525 Confucian Institutes in the world till 2017. One estimate is that to achieve this goal China is spending 10 billion dollars annually. These Confucian institutes promote Chinese culture through different cultural programs and events. China is using traditional media channels, such as Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, as well as social media platforms as a soft power tool to project its positive image. Another soft power strategy which China is using is it’s economic diplomacy. China has been able to position itself as a Benign Superpower through its economic initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative which includes different economic corridors such as China Pakistan Economic Corridor ( CPEC) and China Mongolia Russia Economic Corridor ( CMREC). These corridors promotes inclusive development and global connectivity. China offers numerous scholarships to foreign students to foster its international goodwill and to promote its culture.
Another China soft power strategy is aid and assistance to developing countries. Under this approach, China gives Financial grants, low-interest loans, and humanitarian aid to countries in the Southern Hemisphere that face criticism from Western countries over their political system and human rights records. This strategy aligns perfectly and effectively with the South-South developmental concept. In this regard, China has spent around 354.3 billion dollars in aid from 2000 to 2014 which almost matches US aid spending. This substantial financial support has won China’s goodwill among many countries in the world and also helped the country successfully portray itself as a benign superpower that cares about underdeveloped countries and works on the formula of win-win cooperation.
Thus China emphasizes collaboration and integration which presents its soft power as a benign, culturally rich, and economically beneficial alternative, aiming to attract global admiration and strengthen its influence all around the world. However, some view Chinese soft power tools such as its economic initiatives as a geopolitical tool for asserting Chinese dominance. Thus according to data from the Soft Power Index 30 shows that China improved its ranking from 30th to 27th place between 2015 and 2019, coinciding with the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which shows Chinese success in using soft power tools for portraying itself as a benign superpower.
The Author, M. Hammad Madni is a student of International Relations at Air University, with a proven track record of publishing opinion articles on global affairs with the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI).His expertise lies in providing insightful perspectives on international relations, geopolitics, and global governance.
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