The Role of Soft Power in China's Security Strategy: Case Studies on the South China Sea and Taiwan

Abstract

The concept of "soft power" came to prominence in Chinese political and academic discourse in the mid-2000s, and is now arguably a deliberate and integral part of Chinese foreign policy, facilitating China's rise by shaping the external environment. Examples of Chinese soft power include economic diplomacy with the global South, the "Beijing Consensus," public diplomacy initiatives like Confucius Institutes, and even tourism. This study expands on the existing body of scholarly literature on Chinese soft power by exploring its integration with China's security strategy. Two cases are examined: (1) Cross-Strait relations, and (2) the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The study demonstrates that soft power is integrated into China's security strategy, and involves a wide range of sources of power. The study also shows that the interplay between soft and hard power varies significantly depending on the context.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 09, 2017
Accession Number
AD1038741

Entities

People

  • Mikail Kalimuddin

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Case Studies
  • Congress
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign Policy
  • Geography
  • Globalization
  • Humanitarian Assistance
  • International Conflicts
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Science
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Political Science
  • Territorial Disputes

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Theoretical Analysis.