Soft Power Dynamics

Abstract

This research deals with the study of the soft power and its effects on one of the most important regions in the world, which is the Middle East region, and it was found that through soft power, a country can penetrate other countries through a variety of tools without resorting to hard power. Three components of soft power were found—culture, political values, and foreign policy—as soft power does not mean concern for national interests only and ignoring the interests of others. By getting to know the components of American and Chinese soft power that have been identified in research and the continuous growth that is happening rapidly, both United States of America and China have been able to build soft power in areas that include political, economic, social, and technological. They have played the tools of soft power. Culture, foreign policy, and political values have an important role in establishing the principle of peace and international and regional cooperation. The study found that there are effects of the soft power of both countries in the Middle East, especially the Arab region, especially since the Chinese economic rise has made the Arab states the first supplier of oil, and that China's investments in the Arab Gulf region in various fields have contributed to the impact of its economic tools in the region. On the other hand, Chinese and American exports, including the military industries, increased to the Arab states, and they occupied advanced ranks in the import table. In addition, China and USA seek to find an important role for it in the future in protecting international shipping lines in the region to protect its growing economic interests. The study showed the difference regarding the way each of the two countries deal with soft power and its impact on the Middle East region.