By Zara Mansoor
Soft Power- the term coined by Joseph S. Nye in the late 1980s directly designates the ability of a nation state to encourage others to do what it desires without the negative use of power, and coercion. It is something widely invoked now in foreign policy debates.
Later, he published his book in 2004 and reintroduced the idea which argues for its relevance in forming post-September 11 U.S. foreign policy towards the states. Nye articulated that successful states need both hard and soft power — the ability to coerce others as well as the ability to shape their long-term attitudes and preferences.
The book very much supported the US foreign policies and tried to convince that US is wining hearts around the world as wars. But, it forgot to mention the limits of US soft power, the limits United States has created for itself, and the confines which are holding it back tightly to further embellishments, as its excessive high opinions in its military abilities.
On the other hand, the term originally designed by an American Political Scientist has adapted by the Chinese officials in a way that relates to the achievement of long-term or overall aims and interests.
During recent years, China has been considered as the most diplomatic of all states, and the way it strategically opted the term is slowly leading it towards the heights of success and others to the Chinese debt-trap. In addition, most of the states have already paid much higher price for maintaining partnerships with China and the other would also slowly fall towards China’s debt-trap diplomacy.
With its diplomatic powers, China invests its money in other nations and gradually gain their support on foremost levels, which strengthen it more in ways like politically, militarily and economically, and escort it one step above towards gaining the world’s hegemony.
Moreover, China in the recent past shaped its relations with Sri Lanka, Montenegro, Maldives, Djibouti, Pakistan and now with Iran. Additionally, after years of persuading United States, it has now come up with its real strategy “Your Enemy’s Enemy is Your Friend” and formed alliances with the US’s worst ever enemy- Iran. China has developed military and trade connections with Iran while defying the United States.
The investment and security pact would hugely spread out China’s power in the Middle Eastern region, heaving Iran an economic lifeline and generating new flash points with the United States. Yet once again the tactics of using hard power led the superpower towards drainage.
Iran and China silently drafted a far-reaching economic and security conglomerate that would clear the way for billions of dollars of Chinese reserves in energy and other sectors, undercutting the Trump administration’s efforts to isolate the Iranian Government because of its nuclear and military ambitions.
The most damaging thing Trump’s administration has done, among a list of many, is to make the United States of America a laughing stock to the rest of the world. He alienated his allies, while its opponents laughed at his back pretending they were his friends.
Furthermore, during the India- China border tensions, Pakistan threw its weight behind longtime ally and China, with the support of Pakistan, began countering the aggressive approach of India. Additionally, signing the deal with Iran, China also succeeded in throwing its rival- India out from the Chabahar rail project.
China is conquering the world with its soft spoken strategy and creating win- win scenarios, which are in reality more beneficial for China itself than the other parties, whereas United States, enthralled in its superpower abilities, is bit by bit losing its ground.
In addition, it is to be noted that the rise of the East doesn’t mean the decline of the West. But West seems to lack perceptions, it is currently visually impaired and immersed so much in struggling with the rise of its opponent that it has forgotten to even give a balance to its own position.
From centuries, the west has fought unlawfully on numerous accounts, made so many illegitimate decisions and went on war with Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Vietnam, which resulted in huge level of destructions.
Moreover, US’s killing of top Iranian leader- Qassem Soleimani added fuel to the fire and even International Community regarded it as Superpower’s unlawful behavior. Its excessive use of hard power is throwing it gradually in dark, with a bad impacts on US in the long run, even it is failing to recognize that.
Trump’s administration has entirely stopped working on its soft power strategies which are more effective in the contemporary international system than the hard power strategies, and the blend of these two is the mean to success.
Moreover, PwC-PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational professional services network headquartered in London, United Kingdom, reported in 2017 about the country which will have the strongest economy after 33 years. According to this report China will lead in 2050. It will be the biggest Country in this World in terms of Economy.
It is taking steps towards gaining the hegemony. In addition, China is aiming for a superpower status. It is being conscious with its future, while the United States is destroying its existing status because of its negative use of social status and military power to influence the performance or benefits of other political bodies.
This form of political power is often aggressive, and is most immediately effective when imposed by one political body upon another of lesser military and/or economic power. But it creates fear among the states, which slowly crafts a situation to take them away to form any future alliances with aggressive state.
In the final analysis, International politics is a dangerous business and one thing is constant here, that’s Change. Change is constant in international political environment. Everything changes, it just needs some time. If we go into a little history, when China was the great civilization, Europeans lived in forests and when Europe started ruling the world nobody ever thought it would end up drastically.
The small change can bring about huge results, and the same goes with the United States, its little ignorance towards the significant strategies may make it to pay a huge price in future. Meanwhile the small acts of soft approaches and smart, albeit evil, tactics will take China on the way to the heights.
Author of the article: Zara Mansoor (Political Analyst, Islamabad, Pakistan)
(The views expressed in this article belong only to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy or views of World Geostrategic Insights)