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China still can't compete with the United States in terms of soft power

China still can't compete with the United States in terms of soft power

In terms of economic performance, countries around the world have gradually accepted the expectation that China will surpass the United States to become the first economy in the near future. Although the Trump administration has launched a trade war with China, and the Biden administration has basically extended relevant sanctions, China’s economic performance is still outstanding. Even in the fourth quarter of 2021, it may be affected by the severe situation of the new crown epidemic. Its economy fell further. Comparing economic development trends, some economists believe that China has surpassed the United States in terms of per capita purchasing power. Even if we think this view is inaccurate, it at least shows that China’s economic development far exceeds expectations is an objective reality. If it is said that the economic world will usher in a new pattern in the near future, in terms of soft power, we still cannot see any country that can compete with the United States, nor can China. We can look for a specific comparative case-CAA company and Confucius Institute to prove this point of view through the different circumstances of the two. The Chinese government started to establish Confucius Institutes in 2004. As of 2018, it has been officially opened in 154 countries, with 2.1 million students reportedly. However, in recent years, news of the closure of Confucius Institutes has continued to spread. The school-running model determines that it can only affect a small number of people. From the perspective of effect, it may be effective as a way to learn Chinese, but from the perspective of promoting Chinese Confucian culture, the effect is not significant. Many people didn't understand CAA, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1975, but in Hollywood today, CAA is the king. Many movie stars with influence all over the world are controlled by this company. In recent years, CAA has expanded its business to sports, music and other fields, and has in-depth cooperation with capital from many countries (regions) to gradually control its entertainment market. This is an economic behavior, but it is undeniable that as film and television works spread to the world, Hollywood has extended American culture and American values. With the help of modern network technology, this influence has become more significant. This is a task that the army cannot accomplish. Changing people’s values, culture is more effective than guns. When CAA established a Chinese company in China, the Confucius Institute was facing resistance from other countries. This reflects that China's soft power performance still cannot compete with the United States.