Soft power in the West and East: the problem of efficiency

The article discusses the issue of criteria that allow giving a comparative assessment of the soft power of different states. The founder of the theory of soft power J. Nye proceeded from the fact that the appeal of Western liberal democracy is universal. Within the framework of this interpretation, the assessment of the soft power of any country is essentially an assessment of the cultural and psychological distance between this country and the normative Western models. Meanwhile, China basing on the concept of a powerful cultural state has developed its own alternative to the theories of J. Nye. This article proves the impossibility of a model of soft power suitable for all, because the practices of its application are determined by specific goals and objectives, which can differ very significantly from one state to another. In the light of this approach, the author compares the American and Chinese soft power strategies in terms of their effectiveness and dynamics. In particular, there is a decrease in the attractiveness of the United States and the strengthening of the «soft» influence of China. The author notes that in the modern world a situation of a parallel dominance of states using soft power of various types is possible.