Description
This paper compares China’s approaches to soft power toward Japan and Russia by looking at the manifestations of Xi’s Chinese Dream in contemporary practices of media exchange. This comparison specifically explores the correspondence between the 'Chinese Dream' that purportedly guides foreign policy action and the practices in the realm of media exchange. Overall, it argues that the practices of media exchange toward Japan and Russia both broadly correspond with the Chinese Dream by presenting China as an economically strong and culturally attractive country. However, the practice in Japan suggests that this has been done by many of documentaries projecting visions of common Chinese citizens’ and corporations’ successes, in stark contrast to Russia where the focus has been largely constrained to elements of traditional Chinese culture. Given the existence of certain limitations, whether the “rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” has generated real attraction or soft power through the implementation of media exchange remains questionable in both cases.
