Soft Power in Sino-American Relations: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

This paper will seek to provide an overview of the role and impact of 'soft power' in Sino-US relations during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. it will seek to compare the use of 'soft power' on both sides of the relationship in different eras: the period from the Boxer Rebellion to the 1911 Chinese Revolution; the early years of the revolution; the Republician era and World War II; the years of diplomatic estrangement, from 1949 to the early 1970s; and the 1970s to the present. The paper will try to suggest: (a) what is meant by 'soft power'; (b) how did both Chinese and Americans employ it at different eras; (c) how effective is 'soft power' as a diplomatic tool; (d) how and where does 'soft power' fit into conventional diplomacy; (e) what is the relationship between 'official' and 'unofficial' diplomacy, and where does 'soft power' come into the picture. The intention is to provoke discussion rather than to provide all the answers.