That's not exactly what soft power is

In Reply to: Re: China understands hard power posted by TheHappyBurgermeister on May 27, 2025 at 12:49:07

It can include cultural elements, but it also means fostering economic relationships, education, aid and using persuasive means to foster influence rather than military threats or embargoes. Having tens of thousands of foreign students pay tens of millions of dollars to be educated by US institutions is an example, as is USAID which sponsored educational, agricultural and healthcare development in the third world. Voice of America and Radio Free Europe are other examples. Basically everything Trump is gutting.

China is licking its chops at the opportunities the US is leaving open to them to offer aid, education and assistance. They basically suck at the culture side of this stuff as you point out, but they can do the other projections if they prove adept.

Follow Ups:

• I over simplified. Here's a CFR article on Soft Power TheHappyBurgermeister 15:41:53 05/27/25 (7)
  • It's never going to be one or the other DSCBruin 16:26:15 05/27/25 (6)
    • Never suggested it was one or the other TheHappyBurgermeister 17:38:58 05/27/25 (2)
      • I know nothing about Belt and Road DSCBruin 09:41:17 05/28/25 (1)
        • Yep, I was thinking of usaid * TheHappyBurgermeister 16:52:44 05/28/25 (0)
    • Mostly true . . . Dr.J 17:31:05 05/27/25 (0)
    • This is a key point blindness 16:45:08 05/27/25 (0)
    • Addendum DSCBruin 16:29:12 05/27/25 (0)
• And if you do need to use coercion DSCBruin 13:52:54 05/27/25 (1)
  • Exactly Dr.J 14:15:18 05/27/25 (0)

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