Charm offensive: how China's soft power is transforming the world

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, China is poised to become a major global power. And though much has been written of China' s rise, a crucial aspect of this transformation has gone largely unnoticed: the way that China is using soft power to appeal to its neighbors and to distant countries alike.This book is the first to examine the significance of China' s recent reliance on soft power-- diplomacy, trade incentives, cultural and educational exchange opportunities, and other techniques-- to project a benign national image, position itself as a model of social and economic success, and develop stronger international alliances. Drawing on years of experience tracking China' s policies in Southeast…