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China’s soft power

China’s soft power
The latest news, analysis and opinion on China’s soft power. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Illustration: Brian Wang
Pop Mart

Pop Mart balances boom and bust: can Labubu’s leap match Molly’s momentum?

As Labubu’s meteoric rise cools, Molly’s longevity highlights the challenge Pop Mart faces in turning hype into stable intellectual property.

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China technology

Opinion | ‘Becoming Chinese’ memes reflect a world shaped by China’s ascent

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Mainland China

A very Chinese time? How memes are paving the way for a soft power shift

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Denmark

Opinion | Cultural exchange with rivals isn’t capitulation. It’s pragmatism

Middle powers must keep their diplomatic options open and recognise that engagement with a country isn’t an endorsement of it.

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People take part in a protest under the slogans “Hands off Greenland” and “Greenland for Greenlanders” in Copenhagen, Denmark, on January 17. Photo: EPA
Hong Kong

Chinese spy? Propagandist? Former Confucius Institute director tells his story

Memoir by former Britain-based academic rebuts accusations that the centres serve as vehicles for Beijing’s state narratives.

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Chinese culture

From Labubu to blockbuster films, was 2025 the year of China’s soft power?

Chinese lifestyle brands and other cultural exports proved to be a hit around the world this year, here are some of our most notable stories.

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Diplomacy

Editorial | Macron faces a tough but necessary balancing act as he visits China

While trade disagreements have hampered ties between Beijing and Paris, Macron’s trip is important for the development of economic and political ties.

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the opening of a summit on artificial intelligence in Paris, France, on November 25. Photo: EPA
United States

Pop Mart’s Labubu balloons to debut at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in New York

A brown Labubu and a pink Mokoko will appear alongside characters such as Skullpanda, Dimoo and Molly on the toymaker’s Pop City float.

Diplomacy

Opinion | As power balance tips to China, world needs a fairer financial system

China-led macro region will have to work on independence of monetary policy and partnerships in a fairer financial and trade framework.

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US-China relations

Why China studies scholars in the West have been left in ‘crisis’ mode

US-China tensions, restricted access and Western-centric thinking seen as key obstacles to gaining ‘full picture of modern China’.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

‘Hawkish’ interpretations rise as US, China discourse gets lost in translation

In an echo of the Cold War, mistranslations are testing already strained nerves in Washington and Beijing.

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Nikita Khrushchev, then leader of the Soviet Union, addressing the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23, 1960. Photo: Getty Images
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | More than a tech hub, Northern Metropolis can be a cradle for culture

By focusing on creative industries, the development can enhance Hong Kong’s soft power push within the Greater Bay Area and beyond.

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China-Africa relations

China targets Gen Z, millennials in new strategy to build its brand in Africa

Kenyan social media stars showcase China’s striking scenery, culture, history and cuisine in glitzy new promotional campaign.

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US-China relations

China stakes a claim on the future with sci-fi and speculative fiction

Liu Cixin’s Three-Body trilogy and other Chinese works may challenge the West’s projection of capitalist society in fiction, experts say.

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Speculative fiction, cited in 2022 by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology as useful for promoting science engagement, has become an important platform to showcase China’s soft power. Photo: Xinhua
China-EU relations

Paris’ new Chinese immigrants spawn ‘authentic’ restaurant boom

Influx of younger, more well-off immigrants to French capital leads to upgrading, expansion of Chinese dining options.

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More “authentic” Chinese restaurants are opening in Paris to cater to a new generation of younger, well-off immigrants. Photo: Agnes Dherbeys
United Nations

Opinion | Hong Kong should be China’s gateway to the United Nations

Putting the UN’s Asia headquarters in Hong Kong could help the organisation’s reforms and reinforce Beijing’s vision of global governance.

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Hong Kong stock market

Labubu fever to persist despite Pop Mart’s production surge: HSBC

The bank forecasts that by 2026, each Pop Mart member will buy an average of 1.23 Labubus, up from 0.99 this year.

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ByteDance

Editorial | China’s mini dramas may be onto something big

Audiences in Southeast Asia love Chinese micro series. In the US, interest in the format is picking up.

A director monitors vertical screens in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on July 17, on the set of a micro drama that is shot for easy viewing on mobile phones. Photo: Reuters
Cambodia

Video | Cambodia unveils new Chinese-built airport

Techo International Airport is the second Chinese-built airport in Cambodia to open in two years.

US-China relations

Opinion | No amount of China scapegoating will reverse America’s decline

The real danger is not China becoming great again, but US policymakers and commentators failing to confront the cause of domestic problems.

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China’s military drills

China’s allies give top marks for parade but the West is not won over

Russia, Iran and Cuba credit the host with showcasing the strength of the Chinese military.

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(Left to right) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un are seen ahead of the parade. Photo: TASS via ZUMA Press/dpa
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s trade charm offensive falls on deaf ears among US security allies

Centuries of shared identity, security integration and cultural allegiance bind these nations irreversibly to the US strategic architecture.

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US President Donald Trump attends a Nato summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25. Photo: Reuters

The rise of China’s soft power

Explore how China wields soft power through language, media and culture, reshaping global perceptions and narratives.

China-UK relations

Opinion | London must look within, not towards Beijing, to fix academic woes

Instead of worrying about political interference from abroad, UK higher education administrators should deal with institutional decay at home.

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US-China relations

Trump’s overhaul of State Department may play into Beijing’s hands for decades

US foreign service has lost more than 3,000 employees and dozens of bureaus, leaving China with largest diplomatic corps.

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Illustration: Brian Wang
Science

Exclusive | For university that bridges China and West, geopolitics is ‘biggest challenge’

Easing visa restrictions for foreign students and visitors could help to improve understanding of China, head of XJTLU says.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s safeguarding of cultural heritage signals its global ambition

For China, the protection of antiquities is not just about safeguarding objects of its past – it is about defining its place in the future.

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US-China relations

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.

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