Sino-U.S.Comparisons of Soft Power

This article proposes a method for measuring soft power. Overall,it is estimated that China has roughly a third of America’s power in this respect.Three factors constitute the soft power of a country:its international appeal,its external and its internal mobilization capabilities. In the short term,China cannot hope to catch up in international appeal and needs to find a balanced way to develop both hard and soft power.It needs to set policy guidelines based on equality and justice,enhance its capabilities for rallying both external and domestic support,and concentrate on improving its social credibility and international strategic reputation.In doing so,it is hoped that China will be able to narrow the gap in these areas within four to five years.