Radnaeva V.V. The Concept of Soft Power in the Political Culture of China

Abstract: The article discusses the concept of soft power in the political culture of China. The issue is examined in the historical context of Ancient Chinese philosophy and the modern development of the concept of “soft power”. The author analyses the interrelation between the spiritual, social and political spheres in the establishment and development of the Chinese Empire. The concept of “soft power” has great meaning in the modern political strategies of the leading world powers. The main principles of this concept had been laid out in China already in early Antiquity and go back to the beginning of its philosophical tradition. The research methodologies applied in preparing this article are the theoretical analysis and the generalization of the scientific literature and periodic press on the studied topic. The main conclusions drawn from the conducted research are that Confucius developed a paternalistic concept of state, which he defined as a big family. The political ethics of Confucius were generally directed at achieving peace between the high and low strata of society and the stabilization of power. The flexibility and ability to reinterpret traditional values in the spirit of modernity towards permanent self-renewal, artistic perception and adaptation to external cultural influences, building on the national tradition – this is precisely where the solution of the “Pacific Ocean Miracle” is essentially hidden – a gigantic leap of the “Asian dragons”, and China itself, in almost all spheres of life.

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