China’s soft power with Chinese characteristics: the cases of Confucius Institutes and Chinese naval diplomacy

Abstract

This article highlights the particular conception of China’s of soft power which reflects the dualistic nature of the Chinese strategic culture: it has two components, a direct (zheng) and an indirect (qi) dimension which are not in opposition; rather, they are integrated. The Confucius Institutes and China’s naval diplomacy are two relevant components of ‘soft power with Chinese characteristics’. Both carry political values and are policies that no other BRIC country has fully developed. They depend on and serve China’s political agenda since they mirror Beijing’s efforts to increase domestic cohesion, re-gain international recognition as a great power and avoid repeating the Soviet mistake of focusing exclusively on hard power.