China’s $10bn annual spending on soft power has bought little of it
Global approval ratings for the Communist Party have fallen in the last decade
CHINA WANTS the world to love it. In 2007 Hu Jintao, its leader at the time, announced to a congress of the Communist Party that acquiring soft power, or ruan shili, was essential for the country to become a global force. Xi Jinping, who succeeded Mr Hu in 2012, has zealously continued his mission to expand China’s cultural appeal as quickly as its economic heft and military strength. Today the party spends about $10bn a year on soft power.
Discover more
The world’s most innovative country
A ranking of 133 countries shows that the global innovation boom is stalling
Who is really in charge of Lebanon?
A visual guide to the country’s tattered political system
The states that will decide America’s next president
Insights from our election forecast model
Want to win an argument? Use a chatbot
AI appears to do a better job of countering conspiracy theories than humans do
What makes Australia so liveable?
The country has some of the highest-ranked cities in EIU’s liveability index
Should euthanasia be allowed for those with mental illnesses?
Legislators and doctors are struggling to define who should have the right to die