A Comparative Study Between China And India Soft Power

After the reform and opening up, China has made significantachievements in economic and social developments, people’s livingstandard has dramatically improved. However, the rise of China’s“Hard Power” doesn’t automatically lead to the rise of China’sinternational status in international community. The western countrieshave been criticizing China’s human right and other issues relating topolitical systems and social development pattern. It is obviously seenthat the disadvantage of China’s “Soft Power” has appeared gradually.Because the contemporary international competition not just confinedto the strengthening of “Hard Power” such as economic and militarydevelopment, but the “Soft Power” which now are playing a vital rolein the word like culture and national image. Accelerate theconstruction of China’s “Soft Power” is an inevitable path way forChina to expand its international influence and explore itsinternational development space.India is a close neighbor of China, is the second largest country inAsia. In recent years, India’s rapid rise is causing widely concern inAsia even the world. Now, India has become the third largesteconomy in the world. Military strength has been enhanced withnuclear weapons and a large number of advanced missiles. It hasadvanced science and technology, talent pool, the developed tertiaryindustry, splendid ancient culture, stable social system and flexiblediplomacies, all these factors reflect India’s prominent soft power. Allin all, the rapid growth of economy, military, science and technologyhas laid the material foundation for the rise of India’s soft power.India’s strong comprehensive national strength not only has its own particularity, but also has the universality of the developing countries.So, the analysis and comparison of China and India can help twocountries draw lessons from each other, detours in the process of theirrise. From this point, the study of two countries’ soft power has adeeper theoretical significance and practical significance. This paperattempts to do the comparison from the following five elements:culture, economic development models, the level of participation inthe international system, the image of the country, the internationalinfluence. Through this horizontal comparison, I try to gainexperience from the process of the rise of India, and take my adviceto how to build China’s soft power effectively.