Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

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.
A sculpture of Norman Bethune, a Canadian surgeon and communist, at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing on August 31, 2025. Photo: Eugene Lee
Diplomacy

Opinion | Norman Bethune’s story still holds lessons for China-Canada relations

The Canadian doctor, hailed a hero in China, was driven by personal conviction; there are others today, tilling the soil of Sino-Canadian friendship.

US-China relations

How Chinese drink chains are testing the limits of soft power

videocam
16
US-China relations

As I see it | Has China just ended the end of history?

videocam
18
US-China relations

China urged to forge ‘spear’ for cognitive warfare amid great power rivalry

Prominent academics call on Beijing to move beyond ‘passive mindset’ and shape international public opinion favourable to its interests.

videocam
13
An AI-made video by Chinese state media mocking the United States is seen on a mobile phone in Beijing on April 6. China has been engaged in an intense war of narratives with the US in recent years. Photo: AP
Chinese culture

Why are modern Chinese audiences shying away from dubbed films?

Greater subtitle literacy among streaming viewers is among factors chipping away at enthusiasm for dubbed movies in China.

videocam
China-South Korea relations

What’s behind the surge in South Koreans travelling to China?

Wave of content creators documents life on mainland, with one saying ‘the window has opened and everyone wants to take a look inside’.

videocam
9
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
US, Israel war on Iran

Why spike in fertiliser prices could boost China’s political clout

Beijing could see its regional leverage grow as the Iran war hits supply, though weaponisation of exports is unlikely, analysts say.

Farmers harvest rice in Aceh Besar, Indonesia. The first planting season of the year is just months away in much of Asia. Photo: EPA
Art Basel

How Art Basel Hong Kong is fuelling the Greater Bay Area’s cultural ambitions

Hong Kong, Macau and Shenzhen are lavishing money on art venues and shows, but can really this buy them lasting cultural capital?

China-Japan relations

Why Japan thinks China’s growing cultural clout is something it needs to counter

The global success of Chinese video games and animation – as well as the appeal of traditional culture – has triggered a reaction in Tokyo.

videocam
48
2026 Xi-Trump summit

How foreign students can amplify China’s narrative in its push for soft power

On the sidelines of Beijing’s ‘two sessions’, academic and political adviser Zhang Bo emphasises the power of personal stories.

videocam
11
Overseas visitors pose for selfies in Shanghai’s Bund area. Photo: Xinhua
China economy

Opinion | How the next China shock is shaping hearts and minds

No longer confined to trade and technology, competition between China and the West is now playing out in the realm of cultural imagination.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens
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.

6
China technology

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

The memes are really about how deeply global digital life is embedded in Chinese-built systems – and how comfortable young people are with that.

videocam
5
Mainland China

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

Western social media trends paint ‘Chineseness’ in a positive light, but observers question whether Beijing will benefit.

videocam
49
German tourists dressed in Hanfu costumes (traditional Chinese costumes) take a selfie at a Hanfu experience hall in Changchun, Jilin Province of China. Photo: China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
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.

videocam
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.

9
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

videocam
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’.

videocam
13
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.

videocam
33
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.

videocam
5
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
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.

5
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.

16
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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement