List of Soft Power articles
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An illustration shows hands holding chopsticks and a spoon with a soup dumpling in it over a large blow. Inside the bowl is a Taipei cityscape with lanterns and semiconductor chips coming out of it. Soup Dumplings as Soft Power
Din Tai Fung has become a potent global symbol of Taiwan, at a time when the island sorely needs it.
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The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, Alan Moore and Steve Moore with various artists, Top Shelf Productions, $49.99, 352 pp, October 2024. Alan Moore Wants You to Invent Your Own God
An acclaimed English author offers his take on creativity and magic.
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French President Emmanuel Macron holds an Olympic gold medal as he delivers a speech to representatives of stakeholders who helped organize and host the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, seen at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Aug. 12. France’s Quest for Olympic Glory
Ahead of the Paris Games, Macron invested heavily in efforts to boost elite sports. Did it pay off?
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Chinese migrants wearing rain ponchos warm themselves near a fire after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Chinese Migrants Aren’t an Invading Army
Myths about “military-aged men” distract from a soft-power opportunity.
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The blue-and-white Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate at night in Berlin. Spectators watch from the street, many holding umbrellas. How Germany Lost the Middle East
Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region.
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A crowd of people holding Mao's Little Red book aloft cheer as a man is tortured on a stage bearing words in Chinese and red flags. America’s New Expression of Soft Power
“Shogun” and “3 Body Problem” show U.S. pop culture can thrive without putting Westerners front and center.
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Hand-painted wooden nesting dolls stand on a table. Two are painted with an image of U.S. President Joe Biden, shown from the torso upward, wearing a black suit and smiling against an American flag background. Next to these is a doll painted with the image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who smiles against a Chinese flag background. The U.S. Cannot Afford to Lose a Soft-Power Race With China
Washington’s key diplomatic assets have become a political bargaining chip.
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A collage photo illustration shows examples of soft power around the world including a smoking NAFO shiba inu in a beret and fatigues, a dancing woman from the Bollywood movie "Monsoon Wedding," Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens, K-pop band BTS, and a panda. Is Soft Power Making a Comeback?
Global powers are turning to it—with mixed success.
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Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji enjoys an ice cake to celebrate his third birthday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington. The Panda Party’s Almost Over
Three of Washington’s most beloved residents are heading back home, ending an era amid frostiness in U.S.-China relations.
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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi waves as he walks through the 77th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City. Iran’s Grand Strategy Has Fundamentally Shifted
Tehran has shifted to using carrots in the region—and reserving sticks for the United States and Israel.
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A collage photo illustration shows examples of soft power around the world including a smoking NAFO shiba inu in a beret and fatigues, a dancing woman from the Bollywood movie "Monsoon Wedding," Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens, K-pop band BTS, and a panda. Soft Power Is Making a Hard Return
Leaders are reaching for fellas and films as much as bullets and blockades.
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A dragon mascot is displayed outside a store as customers peruse Lunar New Year pudding in Manila's Chinatown. China Can’t Catch a Break in Asian Public Opinion
Washington can benefit from Beijing’s soft-power failures.
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A man in sunglasses walks past a group of buildings. The Long Arm of China’s Overseas Influence Operations
Illegal police stations are just the tip of the iceberg.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jingping Russia and China Can’t Get Anyone to Like Them
Beijing and Moscow are failing to produce soft power. But do they really want it?
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An aircraft carrier is pictured in water, with the NYC skyline in the background. Britain’s Hard-Power Ambitions Face Soft-Power Headwinds
Aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s role in the world faces changing tides.
