Constraints on the Soft Power Efforts of Authoritarian States: The Case of the 2015 Military Parade in Beijing

Journal article | Zeitschriftenartikel

Is it possible for authoritarian states such as China, Russia, and Iran to combine the soft power narratives directed primarily towards an international audience with the narratives directed primarily towards a domestic audience that are aimed at maintaining regime security? To investigate this question, this article analyses the 2015 military parade in Beijing, using this case to highlight and discuss the constraints on Chinese leaders’ efforts to project soft power. The key finding is that soft power will continue to be the weak link in China’s pursuit of a great power position and status as long as what continues to count as “Chinese” is defined in opposition to hostile “others” and the humiliation narrative continues to function as the central identity marker in the party-led construction of national identity (the “us”).

Object Details

• ISSN: 1868-4874
• Extent: Seite(n): 111-134
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Status: Veröffentlichungsversion; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 46(2)

Classification and Topics

• Subject: Internationale Beziehungen ; internationale Beziehungen, Entwicklungspolitik ; China ; Autoritarismus ; nationale Identität ; Militär ; Militärpotential ; politische Führung ; politische Entwicklung ; internationale Anerkennung ; Machtsicherung ; politisches Instrument ; symbolische Politik

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Sørensen, Camilla T. N.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Deutschland
• (when): 2017

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:gbv:18-4-10698
• Rights: GESIS - Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. Bibliothek Köln
• Last update: 21.06.2024, 4:27 PM CEST