Soft power, a term coined by Harvard professor Joseph Nye in 1990, refers to the ability of a state to get what it wants by attracting or persuading others, as opposed to using coercion, most often represented by military might.
Soft power is about people volunatrily seeking to assoicate with, or emulate another country's culture, lifestyle and values. Dipolmacy, cultural exchanges and dialogue forums are soft powe tools; more abstract examples would include democractic ideals, hollywood, bollywood, nike, coke - anything that makes the weilder of soft power appealing to others.
Brand China seems to be in deep touble. This week, flammable childrens pyjamas, formaldehyde laced clothes joined a growing list of China-made goods that foreign regulators, particularly USA have rejected. This incldes recall of 20 million unsafe toys, tainted food products and faculty tyres.
Chinese officials have gone on a PR offensive.
China has retunred a few USA goods alleging them as sub-standard, and hitting back calling it "Whasington's increasing protectionism".
China at home is like America during the industrial revolution - struggling to develop rules for its chaotic factories - China abroad resembles the USA of that time, too - far more influential nation than other exisiting powers care to admit.
Apart from "Made in China" crisis, other problems bedevil the image China presents to the world including environmental diasters, human rights, corruption and rampant piracy.
Yet (a small example) , unlike the IT system which was still not in place a month before the start of the 2004 Athens Olympics, China has already completed the IT infrastructure for next years Beijing Games.
For any country, hosting the Olymoics is a matter great Pride. But for China, a nation so self-conscious of being a nascent superpower, the games are also been explicitly linked to its "soft power".
A super power is emerging over the long haul and its establishment is viewed with a complicated range of emotions - desire, fear, loathing and suspicion.
Just ask the USA.
Hey, India - where are you?
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2 comments:
India is coming- As a proud Indian i am convinced that India's time is coming. People of my generation are seeing the churn happening in India. This churn - the "manthan" is an inside out movement which is driven by hungry impateint people. hungry for achieving, impatient to touch the sky. Chak de India!!!
Keep up the good work.
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