Towering figures: who’s who in the world of Chinese soft power?
While China lags its Korean neighbour in pop culture, a handful of stars including Mo Yan, Li Na and Yao Ming have managed to gain international attention in sports, high art and literature
China may not yet have the soft-power firepower of more established pop-culture exporters such as the United States or South Korea, but many of its artists – writers, musicians, dancers, actors and athletes – have proven it’s possible to break through into the realm of international acclaim.
That’s good news for Beijing, which is in the middle of a drive to expand its soft-power status to a level befitting of its military and economic prowess.
Of course, no nation can simply produce “X units” of talent, charm and charisma, then box it, pack it and ship it like so many zillions of smartphones.
Even so, the successes of the personalities below suggest China’s soft power dream may well be within reach.
LITERATURE