China’s exponential rise in the last two decades has stunned the United States and its allies. China has challenged the status quo established in the world after the Cold War. The interventionist and dictatorial policies pursued by the United States in the post-Cold War unilateral world order tarnished its soft image and created a power vacuum in the world. China’s emergence as the new superpower of the world has not only altered the polarity of global politics but has also posed a great challenge to the United States hegemony. China used soft power to influence the developing nations. The term “soft power” was first coined by an American Political scientist, Joseph Nye, in his book, Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power. He examined the evolving dynamics of US power in the post-Cold War era in this book. He defined soft power as a power that relies on persuading through foreign policies, culture, and political values rather than coercion.
China seems adept at using this approach effectively. The nation made soft power a crucial element of its foreign policy. Moreover, the significance of soft power has long been known by the Chinese leadership. Former Chinese President Hu Jintao encouraged the use of soft power in his speech in 2005. President Xi Jinping reinforced this by stating in his speech, “We should increase China’s soft power, give a good Chinese narrative, and better communicate China’s message to the world.” The country is pursuing a multipronged strategy to implement this approach in its foreign policy.
Along with investing in infrastructural development in different countries, China has also launched a diplomatic offensive to increase its influence over the developing world. The country’s cumulative investment in infrastructural projects in around 147 countries of the world has surpassed $1 trillion under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project. According to estimates, this investment is expected to reach almost $8 trillion by the completion of the BRI project. This project extends to three continents and has provided jobs to 421000 people along with dragging 40 million people out of poverty. China also invested in developmental projects in Africa under the BRI and has also forgiven 23 loans to 17 different African countries. This move was allegedly motivated to shun the allegations of debt-trap diplomacy. However, it earned the country a huge reputation among the developing and underdeveloped nations. The success of China’s soft power approach in its foreign policy could also be gauged by its rising influence in South Asia and its success in rapidly isolating India – a regional competitor. Rising anti-India sentiment amongst the erstwhile Indian allies in the region, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, and Bhutan, demonstrates the success of its diplomatic endeavors in the region.
Another major strategy of the Chinese soft power approach in its diplomatic offensive is its ambition to resolve major conflicts in the world. The nation embarked on this ambition by taking two major initiatives: mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the presentation of the Ukrainian peace plan. Both these events are considered the landmarks of the nation’s soft power policy and they increased its influence and stature around the world. Unlike the United States and its allies, which incited the Russia-Ukraine conflict by encouraging the latter to join NATO and pose a security threat to the sovereignty of the former, China sought to peacefully resolve the conflict through the proposed plan. The world aptly views the United States as the true beneficiary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This too ruptured the image of the US around the world. Even some European allies of the United States have also accused it of benefiting from this conflict. On the other hand, China is now being seen as a peace promoter in the world.
Chinese mediation between Iran and Saudi Arabia also emerged as one of its major diplomatic wins. The United States and Israel have always exploited the Saudi-Iran conflict. They influenced the Middle Eastern region by exploiting this conflict. Israel, the United States, and the Gulf have always been seen on the same page about Iran. However, China’s successful mediation not only ameliorated its image around the world, but it also impinged the US and Israeli interests in the region. China has also forged relations with the Taliban-led Afghanistan at a time when the Western world has imposed sanctions on the latter, which are augmenting a humanitarian crisis in the country. Moreover, the expansion of BRICS has further enhanced the soft image of China. The BRICS is now seen as the alternative to the US-dominated organizations, which failed to ensure equality and peace in the world. Around 40 countries have expressed interest in BRICS membership after the inclusion of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Argentina, Iran, and Ethiopia. China is one of the founding members of BRICS, and the world views the inclusiveness and egalitarian system of BRICS as the fundamental policy of the founding members of the organization. All these soft power endeavors have increased the Chinese influence over the globe, while the United States is rapidly losing its grip as a superpower due to its pursuit of hard power through military interventions in different resource-rich countries around the world.
Taut Bataut – is a researcher and writer that publishes on South Asian geopolitics, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”.