China’s Soft and Sharp Power by Joseph S. Nye - Project Syndicate
China has invested billions of dollars to increase its soft power, but it has recently suffered a backlash in democratic countries. A new report by the National Endowment for Democracy argues that we need to re-think soft power, because "the conceptual vocabulary that has been used since the Cold War's end no longer seems adequate to the contemporary situation."
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The report describes the new authoritarian influences being felt around the world as "sharp power." A recent cover article in The Economist defines "sharp power" by its reliance on "subversion, bullying and pressure, which combine to promote self-censorship." Whereas soft power harnesses the allure of culture and values to augment a country's strength, sharp power helps authoritarian regimes compel behavior at home and manipulate opinion abroad.