Jak działa siła miękka Chin? Przypadek Chińsko‑Pakistańskiego Korytarza Ekonomicznego
How Does China’s Soft Power Work? The Case of the China-Pakistan Eco-nomic Corridor

Summary/Abstract: Announced in 2013, the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a multidimensional infrastructure project that has the potential to transform the Pakistani state and society. Under the CPEC umbrella, Beijing has expanded to an unprecedented extent own portfolio of soft power instruments vis-a-vis its “all-weather friend”, Pakistan. This article aims to analyze the potential of CPEC as a rich resource of China’s soft power. In the theoretical dimension, the paper juxtaposes Joseph Nye’s original conceptualization of soft power with selected literature on China’s soft power and Beijing’s practice. Empirically, the article first highlights the numerous soft power instruments deployed under the CPEC umbrella or related to this project. Second, this article outlines how the Pakistani government and society perceive China, CPEC and, where possible, specific instruments of China’s soft power. This case study draws attention to the nonmaterial aspects of China’s infrastructure projects that are often neglected. Thus, this study helps better understand this country’s growing importance in South Asia and beyond.

• Details
• Contents