There has been a huge expansion in soft power activity by nations in Asia over the past five years, according to a new report from the British Council. Soft Power Superpowers explores the soft power of eight leading G20 states.  Alistair MacDonald, author of the report and British Council Senior Policy Analyst, highlights the key trends and lessons for the UK.

The marketplace for soft power

Nations around the world are increasingly recognising the importance of soft power to the realisation of their global ambitions and investing heavily to increase their reach and impact, to tell their stories and shape the international agenda. Russia and China in particular have been massively expanding their investment in soft power activities such as international broadcasting and international cultural institutes and programmes.

In the last five years alone China’s network of Confucius Institutes has grown from 320 to 507, making it by far the largest of the international cultural institutes. Russia too has been growing its cultural presence, with an increase of 209% in its cultural institutes, the Russkiy Mir Foundation

In Soft Power Superpowers the British Council explores some of the major global trends in soft power today. The report offers insight into how leading soft powers are seeking to grow their global influence. It offers new perspective on the challenges facing the UK’s leading status in an increasingly competitive “soft power marketplace”. For example, in the last five years alone China’s network of Confucius Institutes has grown from 320 to 507, making it by far the largest of the international cultural institutes. Russia too has been growing its cultural presence, with an increase of 209% in its cultural institutes, the Russkiy Mir Foundation. In contrast over the same period the networks of European countries’ cultural institutes have proven largely static or reduced.

The balance of global influence

Today, networks are of ever more importance to the international success of states: influence flows through them, whether as digital megabytes or through real world, human connections. The educational and cultural networks that international cultural relations institutions represent are an essential element within that dynamic, complex web of connections. They are not the whole story, but they stand alongside states’ international broadcasting platforms – the BBC World Service, Deutsche Welle, NHK World, RT – as key “soft power assets” representing a country overseas.

The research has enabled the creation of a new interactive online tool that allows users to view the global networks of 12 nations’ leading international cultural organisations on an online heat map. This shows where the greatest concentrations of activity are - and the places that are being neglected. As the world’s leading international power, the United States has the greatest concentration of these institutions and appears to be the nation that is most targeted by others for cultural and education connections via the presence of their international cultural institutes. Interestingly, 80% of these 134 different offices in the USA are Chinese Confucius Institutes.

Heatmap showing cultural relations organisations
Spheres of Influence. Heatmap of cultural relations organisations. Image ©

British Council.

The research also shows the places that are being identified as the major future centres of influence, with hot spots on the map in countries recognised as today’s rising powers in Asia and the Global South. While it is the very large number of Confucius Institutes in North America that really catches the eye, the rapidly expanding footprint of the African Confucius network is if anything even more interesting – Sub-Saharan Africa clearly really matters to China. 

The much more modest, incremental changes in the networks of the cultural relations institutes of the UK, Germany and other European states make any strategic prioritisation being undertaken by these agencies less visible than that of their Chinese counterpart. 

Even though it is perhaps the gold standard against which others compare themselves, the report shows that the UK itself could potentially learn from other countries that are developing their soft power approaches. For example, Germany’s investment in scholarships and outward student mobility is giving it a real edge in growing its appeal in high-growth export markets in Africa and East Asia. Brazil is developing strong socio-cultural links with other lusophone countries that are in turn supporting the expansion of economic and security links in a model with potential lessons for a renewal of the UK’s relationship with the Commonwealth. 

That many nations – especially in Asia - are investing more and adopting more ambitious strategies for their soft power. Over the long term, this has the potential to change the relative balance of global influence.

With a rapidly changing global soft power landscape shown by this new report, what is clear is that many nations – especially in Asia - are investing more and adopting more ambitious strategies for their soft power. Over the long term, this has the potential to change the relative balance of global influence.

You may also be interested in

  • Soft power today: Measuring the effects

    New research has found that promoting a nation’s culture and political ideals on the global stage brings significant economic and strategic advantages.

Share this