The rise of China’s soft power

Advertisement

Advertisement

The rise of China’s soft power

Advertisement

[1]

‘Huge shift’: why learning Mandarin is losing its appeal in the West

Available figures suggest enthusiasm is waning after years of rapid growth, with analysts pointing to China’s economy and image problems.

20 Jul, 2025

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Advertisement

Advertisement

[2]

War of the words: why top US diplomat Rubio is lost in China’s translations

Linguistic, cultural and political differences make interpretation difficult, but analysts also point to factors like the target audience.

28 May, 2025

Illustration: Henry Wong

[3]

Labubu, soft power of a stealthy ‘ugly-cute’ sort, takes on America

The Chinese-made dolls, a playful global megahit, give Beijing an opportunity to make inroads into deep US distrust.

24 Jul, 2025

Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

[4]

Palace intrigue conquers global screens: has China cast its new soft power?

As overseas fans binge on Chinese hit streaming shows, slick productions could boost country’s image on the global stage, experts say.

29 Jun, 2025

Illustration: Henry Wong

[5]

‘Own the story’: China urged to control its narrative to counteract the West

Discourse power has become a key arena of international competition, according to experts in Chinese politics, media and party ideology.

29 Jul, 2025

China must prevent the Western narrative from excluding it from the definition of the Global South, says Chen Jin, a lecturer at China’s Central Party School. Photo: Shutterstock

[6]

International Museum Day: how China is aiming for cultural superpower status

While investment in cultural heritage is declining in the US and other countries, the ‘unique’ Chinese model is flourishing, observers said.

18 May, 2025

Illustration: Davies C. Surya

[7]

China think tanks must be ‘self-centred’ to project nation’s soft power: expert

Leading Chinese scholar Zheng Yongnian says policy adviser groups should be based on a practical ‘indigenous knowledge system’.

13 Jul, 2025

China’s developing think tanks need to better explain Chinese practices to the world and anticipate the country’s future, according to leading Chinese scholar Zheng Yongnian. Photo: Shutterstock Images

[8]

‘Confident’ China should relax grip on cultural, information exchange: academic

Too many Chinese scholars fail to properly engage with their overseas peers, leading to worsening decoupling, professor warns.

20 Oct, 2024

A professor at Renmin University has warned that China’s information decoupling from the rest of the world could be devastating in the age of AI. Shutterstock

[9]

By toy or tea, some China retailers still see US as path to profit

More offline mainland brands are placing big bets on American consumers despite bilateral tensions and weak investor sentiment.

30 Jun, 2025

Illustration: Henry Wong

[10]

Why Wang Yi’s message to Marco Rubio may have been lost in translation

There has been much discussion about how to interpret an idiom used by China’s foreign minister in talks with the US secretary of state.

28 Jan, 2025

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with the new US secretary of state on Friday. Photo: Reuters

image

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

  

Read More

Leave a Reply