List of Soft Power articles
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A giant panda's tongue hangs out while eating. The Expedition That Launched a Century of Panda-Mania
A new book details how the United States helped create a truly political animal.
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A photo portrait of a bearded man seen from behind with his head turned to the side so he's seen in profile. He wears a dark-colored suit jacket. How Much Power Does the Aga Khan Have, Really?
The billionaire Muslim leader is a religious figure—and a global powerbroker.
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An illustration shows a horseshoe-shaped magnet with a U.S. flag motif attracting a giant crowd of tiny people toward it. Is American Soft Power Finished?
Joseph Nye’s death marks the end of an era of U.S. foreign policy.
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Joseph Ny gestures with one hand as he speaks. Joseph Nye Was the Champion of a World That No Longer Exists
The distinguished scholar, who coined “soft power,” shaped five decades of U.S. foreign policy.
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Two tall buildings are lit up with characters from the movie "Ne Zha 2" in China with a crowd of people in the street. Hollywood Has a New China Problem
‘Ne Zha 2’ shows audiences are growing tired of formulaic Western films.
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Multiple workers wearing light clothing unload supplies. USAID Purge Ends With 83 Percent of Programs Canceled
After weeks of uncertainty, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the final tally of cuts.
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An illustration shows hands holding chopsticks and a spoon with a soup dumpling in it over a large blow. Inside the bowl is a Taipei cityscape with lanterns and semiconductor chips coming out of it. Soup Dumplings as Soft Power
Din Tai Fung has become a potent global symbol of Taiwan, at a time when the island sorely needs it.
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The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, Alan Moore and Steve Moore with various artists, Top Shelf Productions, $49.99, 352 pp, October 2024. Alan Moore Wants You to Invent Your Own God
An acclaimed English author offers his take on creativity and magic.
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French President Emmanuel Macron holds an Olympic gold medal as he delivers a speech to representatives of stakeholders who helped organize and host the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, seen at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Aug. 12. France’s Quest for Olympic Glory
Ahead of the Paris Games, Macron invested heavily in efforts to boost elite sports. Did it pay off?
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Chinese migrants wearing rain ponchos warm themselves near a fire after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Chinese Migrants Aren’t an Invading Army
Myths about “military-aged men” distract from a soft-power opportunity.
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The blue-and-white Israeli flag is projected onto the Brandenburg Gate at night in Berlin. Spectators watch from the street, many holding umbrellas. How Germany Lost the Middle East
Berlin’s unequivocal support for Israel has eroded its soft-power footprint in the region.
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A crowd of people holding Mao's Little Red book aloft cheer as a man is tortured on a stage bearing words in Chinese and red flags. America’s New Expression of Soft Power
“Shogun” and “3 Body Problem” show U.S. pop culture can thrive without putting Westerners front and center.
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Hand-painted wooden nesting dolls stand on a table. Two are painted with an image of U.S. President Joe Biden, shown from the torso upward, wearing a black suit and smiling against an American flag background. Next to these is a doll painted with the image of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who smiles against a Chinese flag background. The U.S. Cannot Afford to Lose a Soft-Power Race With China
Washington’s key diplomatic assets have become a political bargaining chip.
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A collage photo illustration shows examples of soft power around the world including a smoking NAFO shiba inu in a beret and fatigues, a dancing woman from the Bollywood movie "Monsoon Wedding," Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens, K-pop band BTS, and a panda. Is Soft Power Making a Comeback?
Global powers are turning to it—with mixed success.
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Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji enjoys an ice cake to celebrate his third birthday at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington. The Panda Party’s Almost Over
Three of Washington’s most beloved residents are heading back home, ending an era amid frostiness in U.S.-China relations.
