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China's real soft power

By Wei Zonglei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-08-13 15:58

Soft power as a concept has been talked over and over in last decade. Americans talk about soft power, not only because they have misused too much hard power, like military power projection and operations all over the world, but also because they have pushed too hard their so-called soft power, like self-portrait of democratization.

Their abuses of common meritus values has been leading the United State into Antagonist and dangerous world for themselves, and also make the world more dangerous for others than ever before. They want to be smarter, not so abrupt, immature or bothering, but their goal is to seek global leadership, dominance and supremacy. China should be different, and the differnce might be the biggest soft power for China.

China is a country which traditionally has paid much attention to soft power. For a thousand years, even the Emperors and kings knew very well how to appeal foreigners afar with morality.

Soft power not only refers to culture, traditional art, music and films, which are only a small part thereof. Confucius is one of China's most important symbolic characteristics, but not all of them, and it needs to be innovated. The contents of soft power also include the long history of Chinese experiences to make a unified nation, to defend against aggression and foreign invasions, to struggle for independence and self-reliance, to win wars and make peace, to explore the better roads to govern of people, by people and for people, and to build more harmonious world.

Political ideas, philosophy and system are very important. We must have confidence and even superiority on our own political ideas and system, and we will continuously improve, make better. Great nation must have great ideas, and strong wills, besides big wealth. With great revolutionary ideas, to reach equality among people, to overthrow depression, to liberate human beings and to realize commonwealth domestic and world wide, Chinese people experienced most enthusiastic and dynamic periods, winning respect all over the world.

That is why China could be a great nation even when we were a poor country. We must continue to demonstrate we are a nation and people full of high spirit and great ideals, beyond simply being an economic mammal or money-makers, domestically and worldwidely.

Our foreign policy goals and explanations must be more idealistic and appealling, instead of too much materialism. Cooperation with major powers, especially with the US and Europe, must avoid leaving the impresssion of making conspiracy of powers to manipulate the world.

Our cooperation with rest of the world should be supportive to developing nations for their national interests and self-reliance. It is not good if our integration to international system has become subject to Western coined international sytem or western standards. The world has entered into an Age of Intergration (inter-integration), which means nations are mutually and equally integrated with one another. China should not give up its own nature or unilaterally accept Western dominated norms and standards and judged by the West. It is not right for China to be judged by and according to Western standard and judgement. China can never be strong in soft or hard power if we admit we are inferior to the West standards.

The models of economic development and social system serve as groundstones for soft power as well as hard power. We must develop our own approaches and road to economic development, to make economic sectors with more Chinese characteristics, more natural, greener and more equal. Our economic basic power will be weakened no matter how much foreign reserves and revenues the government have, if we lose self confidence and self reliance in economic management and innovation. We can not even be economically strong if we introduce too much foreign investment, too many foreign Mult-national corporations in various fields and all walks of lives.

Resorts to privatization or foreignization of national economic sectors will do no good to economic development, national power and people's lives. If we toss most sectors into foreign laps, and we lose the confidence of running well on our own, it is not soft power, but soft without power. It is appealling or statisfactory to none if economic development aggravates polarity of wealth rather than promote common wealth. As Chinese leaders have pointed out, our developemnt must adopt a scientific view of development, in sustainable, environment-friendly way. China’s soft power will be strong and popular in the world if we can be strong and popular on our own.

Academic debates will make soft power stronger. The Spirit of innovation and initiatve is important dynamics. Chinese scholars and officials should put forward more their own ideas and concepts, rather simply as commentary critics of Western ideas and concepts or follow suit. By passively responding or protesting to foreign concepts, ideas or provocations, we might be misled into pitfalls of international discources. We should win the war of ideas in the 21st century.

Last but not the least, China must be different. China has a long history outgrowing all ancient civilizations, and our manifest destiny is to make a united Chinese nation standing high and last forever among the jungle of nations.

We have the entitlement and endowment to be and to make difference, and become distinguished among nations. Difference is neither unconditional deference to hyperpowers, nor blind defiance to international common goodness. We should neither be subjugated to foreign judgement whetehr we are good or bad as a country, nor inappropriately deny reasonable international system. Different practice should be encouraged in world arena.

It is kind of laziness and inertia to take a ride on the same rail track with the Western dominated international institutions and systems. Soft power should be based on solid ground and self-relying postions, and China can be stronger if we contrubute more constructive solutions and creative ideas to make a better world.

The author is Research Professor and Deputy Director of the Institute of World Politics, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.