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Soft Power as an Analytical Tool in the case of Rising China

Author: BoNaDe（Bernard Singu Yegiora）
Tutor: LiuDeBin；RenDongBo
School: Jilin University
Course: International political
Keywords: Power Soft Power Analytical Tool Variables Behaviour of States
CLC: D820
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 123
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Abstract

This research paper is about the theory of soft power coined by Joseph Nye and modified by Joshua Kurlantzick as an analytical tool used to study the behavior of states in contemporary international relations. It tries to use the theory to prove that China is a benign rising power.The first chapter discusses the theoretical underpinnings by giving a brief chronological evolution of the concept of power in international relations within the confines of the two dominant theoretical framework realism and liberalism. The concept of power is the essence of international relations and theories associated with it can be use as analytical tools to study the change in the pattern of behaviour of states.Hans Morgenthau’s elements of power are essential in enhancing national power. A state was considered powerful when it possessed these material stable and non-material unstable elements of power. But this behavior was influenced by human nature where states sought to increase power, then maintain their power, and demonstrate their power to gain prestige.As the world evolved, these elements became less important and the anarchical structure of the international system as advocated by Kenneth Waltz became a determining factor to identify the behavior of states. This new knowledge discussed how the world changed from a multipolar power structure with the existence of many states with great power capabilities, to a bipolar structure where there was only two opposite power polarities, and lastly to the unipolar structure where the hegemon has monopoly of power compared to other states.The hegemon in its ascendency to super power status has used two types of power. Hard power where it used its military capability and economic strength to coerce other nations to do what it wanted, and soft power where it used its culture, values, and foreign policy, to influence other nations in a non-coercive way through attraction and persuasion. This separation where hard power was under the care of the state and the spread of soft power became the duty of the civil society and non-governmental actors worked well in strengthening America’s position in the world. But as the trend of globalization became a big phenomenon making all states interdependent, including the evolution of knowledge which paved the way for the feeling of nationalism, the advent of terrorism as a new non-traditional security threat, and the advancement in weapons of warfare, soft power became more fashionable than hard power.In contemporary international relations, the concept has become one of the most used concepts to describe the influence of one state over another state. This has led states to think that only soft power can buy them influence in international politics, analyzing this trend and America’s heavy reliance on hard power to counter terrorism, Joseph Nye has put forward an equilibrium strategy know as smart power where both hard and soft power can be used together to gain influence.In the second chapter, soft power and hard power are both viewed from a different perspective. They are both interpreted as important analytical tools used to analyze the behavior of states in detail by magnifying the changes in different variables.On the other hand, the behavior of states is compared in a juxtaposing manner with the evolutionary behavior of human beings from Stone Age to modern man to show that states behave like human beings. Human beings were once capable of behaving aggressively or benignly to adhere to self interest, but can no longer behave aggressively because of the existence of a central authority the government which regulates their behaviour.Due to the changing nature of international relations the use of aggressive behavior in the form of threats and inducements are becoming unfashionable making way for non-coercive behavior. To be attractive using a non-coercive approach through variables like culture, values, foreign policy, investments, aid, and diplomacy which constitutes soft power according to Joseph Nye and Joshua Kurlantzick helps a nation to behave in a benign way that proves that it has power.In the third chapter, basing on Western historical experiences the rise of China is viewed as a threat, but the knowledge of soft power as an analytical tool is used to argue that China is a benign rising power which is following the current trend in international politics. This fact is clearly highlighted in the strategic changes that are happening to the variables. China’s soft power revolution is led by the state which makes it unique in comparison to other states. The way China behaves by promoting its culture via Confucius Institutes, showcasing the Beijing Consensus indirectly as an alternative development model, publicizing globally its stance on non-intervention in the internal affairs of a state in adherence to the principles of peaceful co-existence, giving financial aid in the form of concessional loans and grants to developing nations, encouraging Chinese companies to go global by creating a pathway, including its win-win, summit, and public diplomacy strategies can all be analyzed using the tool of soft power to promote the notion that China is a benign rising power.The fourth chapter is an analysis of China’s presence in PNG. It uses the analytical framework of the six variables to look at how the variables are used in PNG to support the central argument that China is a benign rising power.In PNG, the impact Chinese culture has on the society is meager, even though there is a long history of Chinese immigration to the country there needs to be more cultural awareness. Chinese values are also slowly being introduced through the means of public and student diplomacy, but its influence is still minimal due to the dominance of Western values. China’s foreign policy has provided a framework under which her relation with PNG has flourished; it has grown stronger in the 21st century with increased investments and aid aimed at pursuing a win-win solution.The final chapter concludes that China is a benign rising power, and states the potential path for future research.

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