Soft Power, Steady Track, Strong Results

Over the past six months, multiple global consulting firms have quietly issued optimistic assessments of China’s rising influence. This only came to the Chinese public’s attention in late June, when an article published in newspaper People’s Daily spotlighted the country’s growing soft power, bringing these overlooked reports into the national conversation.

The Global Soft Power Index 2025, released in February by UK-based consultancy Brand Finance, based on a year-long survey of 170,000 respondents from all 193 United Nations member states, evaluates countries’ performance across 55 soft power metrics. The U.S. retained the top spot with a score of 79.5 (out of 100), while China, with 72.8, surpassed the UK for the first time to claim second place globally—a sharp rise from eighth place in 2021.

In April, Ipsos—a global research firm based in Paris—reported that, for the first time, China’s soft power recognition had overtaken that of the U.S. Drawing on a decade of global polling, the report showed China’s approval rating rising from 47 percent in 2015 to 49 percent, while the U.S.’ dropping sharply from 66 to 46 percent. An editorial published in French financial newspaper Les Échos on June 16 called it the first reversal in soft power rankings since the end of the Cold War—signaling a slow but far-reaching shift in the global order.

A June report by U.S. global decision intelligence company Morning Consult, based on a survey of 4,900 adults across 41 countries (excluding China and the U.S., but including Canada, France, Brazil, Japan, Russia and the UK) from January 1 to April 30, found that China’s global favorability had been steadily rising over the past year—with a noticeable surge since March. In 34 countries, views of China improved; in 38, views of the U.S. declined. By the end of May, China’s net favorability stood at +8.8, while the U.S. rating hit -1.5—marking the first time China has overtaken the U.S. in global favorability since polling began in 2020.

While opinion polls don’t tell the whole story, it’s clear that global views of the U.S. soured following President Donald Trump administration’s domestic and foreign policies—especially after it launched a new wave of tariffs on April 2. This shift in perception played a major role in the U.S.’ declining favorability.

On the other hand, China’s global influence has steadily expanded over the past decade and beyond. Steady economic growth has made China a key provider of affordable, high-quality industrial goods. China has also consistently aligned itself with the Global South. Since launching the Belt and Road Initiative, an initiative to boost connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes, it has delivered visible results—bridges, roads, energy projects and jobs—that have met developing countries’ pressing needs for stability and growth.

According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China welcomed 130 million inbound visitors in 2024—a year-on-year increase of over 60 percent. On Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and other global platforms, international travelers are increasingly sharing their experiences in China, fueling curiosity and interest worldwide.

Perhaps more telling than the facts themselves is how Chinese people now respond to such evaluations. A decade ago, opinions from foreigners—especially Westerners—were taken seriously, and each of the reports above might have sparked wide debate on Chinese social media. That mindset, however, has shifted.

More and more Chinese believe their country is on the right track. As long as it stays committed to peaceful development, win-win cooperation, high-quality growth and better living standards, the Chinese model will continue to earn broader recognition.

The global soft power landscape—once driven by value-based confrontation—is shifting toward a more balanced framework that prioritizes development outcomes and public wellbeing. Yet in some ways, the world stays the same. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Virtue needs no praise, it naturally draws people in.”

A country’s reputation is forged not overnight, but through decades of steady, deliberate choices. For China, the task is simple: stay the course, and keep doing what it believes to be right.