The Dragon's Hidden Wings is the first comprehensive study on China's use of soft power. Sheng Ding provides the reader with an insightful empirical study that details China's economic and political rise on the global scene over the course of the last three decades. This book not only endeavors to examine the connections between the ongoing rise of China and what Joseph Nye defines as soft power, but also attempts to give readers a more complete understanding of China's national power and modernization process. The main questions addressed are: What are the theoretical and empirical connections between the soft power concept and the rise of China? What are China's own soft power resources? How has Beijing used soft power to become a major player in the world? What opportunities and challenges does the use of soft power present to China? This study is essential reading for scholars of Chinese politics and foreign policy, and for scholars of international relation interested in the concept and application of soft power.
Sheng Ding is assistant professor of political science at the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Chapter 1 Table of ContentsChapter 2 AcknowledgmentsChapter 3 IntroductionPart 4 I: The Concept of Soft Power and the Rise of ChinaChapter 5 1. Rising Power, Soft Power, and the Rise of China: A Conceptual FrameworkChapter 6 2. The Chinese Idea of Soft Power and China's Rising StrategyChapter 7 3. Soft Power Reconsidered: Multidimensionality of Power Resources and the Power Conversion ModelPart 8 II: The Structure of China's Soft PowerChapter 9 4. The Middle Kingdom's Cultural Attractiveness: China's Reliable Soft Power ResourceChapter 10 5. The CCP's Governance Performance: China's Questionable Soft Power ResourceChapter 11 6. Beijing's Diplomatic Fineness and Weakness: China's Limited Soft Power ResourcesPart 12 III: The Opportunities and Challenges in China's Soft Power WieldingChapter 13 7. To Build A "Strong" Language: Opportunities and Challenges in Globalizing Mandarin ChineseChapter 14 8. "Old Bottle, New Wine": Beijing's Soft Power Campaigns in the Global SouthChapter 15 9. "Soft-looking" Dragon in Work: China's National Image Building with Soft PowerChapter 16 ConclusionChapter 17 BibliographyChapter 18 IndexChapter 19 About the Author
The book is clearly organized, with neatly packaged discussions. Students of Chinese foreign policy form the major audience for this study, in addition to international relations scholars curious about applying the idea of soft power beyond the USA.
