In a recent post by John Pomfret he observes
For the past decade, China’s “soft power” has helped fuel Beijing’s rise by attempting to assuage fears of an expansionist China. Whether it be the establishment overseas of hundreds of language-teaching Confucian Institutes (there are more than a dozen in the US), the pay-out of millions of dollars to favored academics, preferential trade deals, or smart financial and foreign policy, China’s “soft power” has been a key cog in the wheels of Chinese diplomacy. . .
But given recent events over the past year, Pomfret declares we are witnessing the end of the era of China’s soft power. Well, given the reputation of the US in the international community today, this may be one unfortunate trend that we share with the Chinese.
