{"id":48408,"date":"2025-11-03T09:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T09:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daoinsights.com\/?p=48408"},"modified":"2025-11-28T09:00:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T09:00:32","slug":"chinas-soft-power-rise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daoinsights.com\/opinions\/chinas-soft-power-rise\/","title":{"rendered":"The brands and moments behind China\u2019s soft power rise\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Earlier this year, the Global Soft Power Index 2025 ranked China number two<\/a> in their assessment of the world\u2019s soft power leaders \u2013 second only to the United States, placing ahead of the UK for the first time. Traditionally China has struggled with soft power. The country\u2019s name conjured images of low-end factory goods and smog-choked cities. Kung fu and chow mein were about the only widely recognisable cultural exports. But over the past eighteen months things have changed. Soft Power Index ranking or no, it\u2019s hard to deny China\u2019s soft power rise is upon us. These are the moments and brands behind the ascendancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China’s soft power rise: the moments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Labubu<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Image: Rednote\/LABUBU\u6709\u4e5d\u9897\u7259<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Labubu (\u62c9\u5e03\u5e03), the snaggle-toothed forest creature dreamed up by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung and made famous by China\u2019s Pop Mart (\u6ce1\u6ce1\u739b\u7279), has become a white-hot soft-power export. What began as a vinyl toy craze has turned into a global aesthetic \u2013 equal parts creepy, cute and collectable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fans from Seoul to Paris queue for blind boxes, while resale prices soar online. More than merchandise, Labubu represents a shift in perception: Chinese design no longer imitates global trends \u2013 it creates them.<\/strong> By exporting a home-grown pop icon with genuine emotional pull, Pop Mart has shown that cultural influence can flow east to west.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Myth: Wukong<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"China's
Image: Rednote\/\u65e0\u6cd5\u65e0\u5929\u7684\u75af\u6279\u5927\u7f8e\u4eba<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The same is true of Black Myth: Wukong<\/em> (\u9ed1\u795e\u8bdd: \u609f\u7a7a), the release that put China\u2019s big-budget video game industry on the map<\/a>. Players from around the world found much to love about the title\u2019s cinematic fights, poetic landscapes and folkloric detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appreciation signified a shift in the eyes of players: one that frames China as a country that can produce great entertainment, and entertainment accessible to all. But perhaps most importantly, the game is unapologetically Chinese. It\u2019s based on a great work of Chinese literature. It doesn\u2019t water down its aesthetic for foreign markets. It takes pride in itself as work of \u2013 you could argue \u2013 art. Few moments have showcased China\u2019s creative self-assurance as vividly as this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innovation and influence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"China's
Image: Rednote\/\u6728\u5b50\u5e0c\u540c\u5b66<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai saw Chinese robots kickboxing, racing and generally blowing minds. DeepSeek\u2019s undercutting of western GPT models had a similar effect and it isn\u2019t limited to AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The innovation taking place in Chinese business has seen an explosion of brands out of the Middle Kingdom. Heytea and Chagee are now regular sights abroad<\/a>. Chinese luxury brands like Songmont and Judydoll are now influencing taste in foreign markets, not following it. The message is clear: China\u2019s innovation isn\u2019t catching up anymore, it\u2019s setting the pace.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rednote Migration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"China's
A post from an American who migrated to Rednote. Image: Rednote\/Kierra<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When TikTok\u2019s (\u6296\u97f3) future in the U.S. was thrown into doubt, millions of users crossed the digital border to Rednote (\u5c0f\u7ea2\u4e66). What they found wasn\u2019t propaganda, it was people: Neon-dripped street scenes in Chongqing, cafe culture in Beijing, couples posing with milk tea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many western users, it was a first unfiltered glimpse of everyday China. And importantly, a relatable one. The migration became an accidental act of soft power. Casual posts and human stories reshaped perceptions. China, it turned out, wasn\u2019t a distant regime \u2013 it was a scrollable, familiar world that shares much in common with one westerners would recognise as home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IShowSpeed\u2019s China trip<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"China's
IShowSpeed in China. Image: Rednote\/\u5c0f\u7ea2\u85af631825E2<\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When American streamer IShowSpeed landed in China,<\/a> few expected it to become a soft power moment. But Speed\u2019s wide-eyed livestreams from Chengdu\u2019s street-snack stands to Beijing\u2019s basketball courts made China feel real, funny, and alive. Speed\u2019s unfiltered enthusiasm drew millions of global viewers, flipping stereotypes into scenes of warmth and curiosity. He wasn\u2019t guided by state media or brand deals, just genuine fascination. Much like the Rednote migration, these candid moments presented a country that looked nothing like the headlines.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

China’s soft power rise: a new kind of influence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You could add to this article the overseas rise in popularity of Chinese online literature, the success of Ne Zha 2<\/em><\/a> (\u54ea\u5412\u4e4b\u9b54\u7ae5\u95f9\u6d77), and numerous other cases. The common thread here is a largely organic change in perception. No longer is China the factory of the world. It\u2019s a rising cultural powerhouse. To match the likes of America however, China will have to do a lot more. It\u2019s clear that one of the hallmarks of a strong soft power nation is there though: self-confidence, and a healthy dose of interest from the outside world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, the Global Soft Power Index 2025 ranked China number two in their assessment of the world\u2019s soft power leaders \u2013 second only to the United States, placing ahead of the UK for the first time. Traditionally China has struggled with soft power. The country\u2019s name conjured images of low-end factory goods and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[74,68,7,63,30],"class_list":["post-48408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinions","tag-industries-digital-society","tag-industries-society-culture","tag-industries-technology","tag-news-platforms","tag-platforms-xiaohongshu-red","has-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe brands and moments behind China\u2019s soft power rise<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"China's soft power rise is happening. Recent years have seen a major shift in perspective. 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