The New Silk Road of Influence: China's Soft Power and its Quest for Supremacy through Olympic Sports

Abstract

This paper explains China's strategic deployment of soft power as a deliberate effort to establish and maintain its dominance on the global stage, an approach that was modeled on the Soviet Union's utilization of sports to highlight its ideological hegemony. Contrasting with the U.S.S.R, which aimed through Soviet success to demonstrate the superiority of the socialist model, China is a little different. They cannot contend that socialism will triumph, since they have developed a mixed (state/market) model while also focusing on promoting their culture rather than just ideology like the Soviets. The Chinese hope to show that their long-time cultural model is the world’s finest civilization through comprehensive initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and nuanced cultural diplomacy efforts, particularly emphasizing its prowess in Olympic sports. China aims to achieve more than mere economic global dominance. It endeavors to bolster its global favorability image, revitalize its cultural prestige, and remind the world of the historical significance of imperial China. Specifically, the promotion of Chinese superiority in sports, although a smaller facet of a much larger strategy, serves as a pivotal component of China's ambitious quest to reclaim its “Golden age” glory and emerge as the undisputed international superpower. This paper contends that through strategic enhancement of its soft power, China not only broadcasts a message of all-round superiority worldwide but also aims to encourage other nations to adopt its governance and cultural practices. These endeavors are designed to elevate China's global dominance, envisioning a future where its influence is pivotal in shaping global affairs and positioning it as a leading cultural and political authority in today's world.