In a recent publication, The Economist from the UK released an article titled How China became Cool, acknowledging that China's soft power is capturing the attention of young people worldwide.
A bouncy 20-year-old livestreamer from Ohio called Darren Watkins junior, known online as "IShowSpeed", has done a lot during his visit to improve China's image abroad. On a two-week trip in March and April he showed his 38million followers the country's rich history (with a backflipon the Great Wall), friendly people (he joked with China's finest Donald Trump impersonator) and advanced technology (he danced with a humanoid robot, had a KFC meal delivered by drone, and tried a flying taxi). His sincere admiration and praise have sparked widespread public interest, injecting a genuine and vivid voice into China's international communication. This strongly demonstrates China's soft power.
Soft power refers to a country's ability to influence other countries and their populations without relying on military force, coercion, or direct pressure. In other words, soft power is manifested when a country earns the admiration and respect of other nations through various forms such as culture, values, policies, technological innovation, education, sports, music, movies, cuisine, and more.
DeepSeek, an artificial-intelligence star, made headlines in December when it announced models that were much cheaper to train and nearly as effective as Western ones. Chinese electric vehicles are being snapped up by overseas buyers, and Chinese consumer drones have been world-leading for years.
Four of the ten highest-grossing mobile games of 2024 were made in China. ... Last year a Chinese firm released Black Myth: Wukong, the country's first blockbuster video game. Featuring the mischievous Monkey King, it is steeped in Chinese folklore. Some 30 percent of its 25 million players are said to be outside the country.
Viewers in countries such as Mexico and Indonesia have also embraced Chinese "micro-dramas", minute-long episodes designed to be watched on mobile phones.
Every year Brand Finance, a consultancy, asks 100,000 respondents worldwide what they think of different countries and their influence. The results put China's "brand" at eighth in the world in 2021 and second this year, behind America.
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