The 2016 Soft Power 30 was released at British Academy by UK public relations consultancy Portland Communications on June 14 in London.

 

LONDON—The soft power of most European countries is falling while that of Asia is rising, according to the 2016 Soft Power 30 report recently released by UK public relations consultancy Portland Communications.

Using objective metrics and international polling data to measure the soft power resources of 30 countries, the study assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of each nation’s soft power, ranking countries according to potential influence.

Japan, Singapore, South Korea and China are among the Asian countries that made it into the top 30 of this year’s study, the second in an annual series, with China moving up two places on the table from last year.

Compared with last year, the rankings of the majority of European countries in the top 30 fell, whereas 75 percent of Asian countries on the list have moved up, said the study’s author Jonathan McClory. But it is too early to tell whether this will be the beginning of a long-term trend, he added.

This might be a trend up to a point, said Chatham House Director Robin Niblett. The European countries, however, have a balanced mix of soft power across a range of fields from entrepreneurship to culture and governance. Although the position of European countries may slip, it is going to be hard for other nations to fight their way into the top ranks, he said.

The results of the 2016 Soft Power 30 show the considerable challenges Europe is currently facing, including the refugee crisis and the Brexit referendum, which are negatively affecting Europe’s soft power, McClory said.

The report suggests that China’s investment in soft power assets is beginning to bear fruit.
The study placed China among the top 10 in terms of the culture sub-index, reflecting the richness of the country’s cultural heritage. China’s vast array of cultural soft power assets continues to attract approximately 55 million tourists annually—the fourth highest number in the world.

China also scores highly on the engagement sub-index. The “Belt and Road” initiative is an example of China’s enhanced international engagement. China is guiding the industrial policy of countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road. The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), with its 57 founding members, demonstrates the country’s broadening vision for multilateral diplomacy, according to the report.

“It always struck me that China is a country that has managed to rise and help its neighbors rise as well,” Niblett said. Some countries generally rise at the expense of others, while China is looking for a mutually beneficial situation. China benefits Europe as a foreign investor and is a positive force in the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

 

 

Jiang Hong is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.