Shifting Global Power: A Comparative Analysis of Soft Power in the US and China

Abstract

his article uses soft power, a country's capacity to influence others by attraction as opposed to coercion, to examine how the dynamics of global power are changing. China's strategic use of soft power shows it is making substantial progress towards becoming another superpower, perhaps pushing the international order towards a bipolar system, even while the United States remains the only hegemon in the existing unipolar world order. China's ability to cultivate a more appealing image on the international scene is credited with its success. This is made possible by its recently acquired economic prosperity, which enables large-scale investments in international aid and infrastructure projects funded by programmes like the Belt and Road Initiative.

Furthermore, China tends to present a more "friendly" foreign policy than the US, emphasising economic alliances rather than intervening militarily. On the other hand, the US seems to be losing ground as the only superpower. Its reputation has been damaged by a number of foreign policy choices, which have also undermined confidence among allies and the global community. Accusations of vaccine hoarding, the perceived shortcomings of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, and a perceived deficiency in leadership during the COVID-19 epidemic are a few of them. Due to these acts, the US is now a less desirable partner on the international scene, which could reduce its soft power and influence.

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