China & Soft Power: Building Relations and Cooperation

This paper provides a theoretical approach on how the shifting global order is shaping international relations, and how China wields soft power to alter its image from a “threat” or “the manufacturer of the world” towards a “peaceful rise”. Its recent economic growth enabled China to become a regional leader and a prominent actor in international affairs, contributing to a balance of powers. This paper seeks to bring a European perspective beyond the conventional Sino-US approach. It is relevant to assess why soft power, coined by Joseph S. Nye in the 1990s,is promoted in contemporary China. States are indeed competing for abetter image, have an influence on others, and are influenced by others,as a result of the circulation of goods, culture, and ideas.