This paper examines Chinese popular affection for Germany through the lens of soft power. I contend that for the three sources of soft power-domestic values, foreign policy legitimacy, and culture, Germany provides so...This paper examines Chinese popular affection for Germany through the lens of soft power. I contend that for the three sources of soft power-domestic values, foreign policy legitimacy, and culture, Germany provides something positive for China. Germany＇s popularity is largely due to Beijing＇s habitual construction of Germany as an ideal ＂other.＂ Mainstream scholarship on soft power tends to focus on culture. This paper highlights values and foreign policy, showing that only when a country has trouble-free perceptions in these areas, will its cultural popularity be more pronounced and enduring. Soft power study needs to bring state back in.展开更多
文摘This paper examines Chinese popular affection for Germany through the lens of soft power. I contend that for the three sources of soft power-domestic values, foreign policy legitimacy, and culture, Germany provides something positive for China. Germany＇s popularity is largely due to Beijing＇s habitual construction of Germany as an ideal ＂other.＂ Mainstream scholarship on soft power tends to focus on culture. This paper highlights values and foreign policy, showing that only when a country has trouble-free perceptions in these areas, will its cultural popularity be more pronounced and enduring. Soft power study needs to bring state back in.
