Mnemonic Soft Power: The Role of Memory in China's Quest for Global Power

Abstract

In twenty-first-century international relations, the telling of stories is as important an instrument of national power as are military strength or economic prowess. Geared not towards coercion or inducement but rather drawing on the forces of attraction and persuasion, such practices can be attributed to the realm of soft power, which plays a key role in today's great-power politics. Starting from these premises, the article explores the role of memory and its relation to soft power. By way of an empirical example, it argues that the recourse to and utilisation of memory constitutes a crucial component in China's quest for global power. In so doing, the article first establishes a conceptual bridge between soft power and memory in international relations. Subsequently, by taking into account contemporary empirical evidence, it identifies and discusses two select narratives – colonialism and tianxia – as core components of Chinese mnemonic soft power.

Politics of Memory, Heritage, and Diversity in Modern China

“…The political implications of China's efforts to expand its memory practices globally, across different audiences, are not fully understood. Therefore, as Ohnesorge and Owen (2023) point out, there is a pressing need to develop a better conceptual understanding of the effectiveness of mnemonic soft power and the "forces of narrative attraction" as part of the ideological and cultural competition between China and the wider world.…”