On The Construction Of Soft Power In The China-Asean Cooperation

Since the Southeast Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, the cooperation between China and ASEAN has been developed substantially. The relation between the two sides has entered the best period in history, and the influence of China on ASEAN has become increasingly great in the region.This change is closely related to China's growing hard power,but it can not be separated from the conscious implementation of soft power strategy by China .Today, China shows strong soft power in ASEAN , for example, the cultural influence has been revived in the region, the capacity of constructing regional cooperation mechanism has been increasingly enhanced, the image of a responsible great power has increasingly become prominent,the demonstration effect of the developmental model has been strengthened,the surrounding foreign policy has been recognized.However, some issues such as the low degree of cultural industrialization, the lack of influence of the core values, the backwardness of the capability for system innovation,and the distortion of national image have restrained China's soft power from strengthening in the region.To identify the acquired achievements and existing problem is the precondition of formulating effective strategies.Based on this point,this paper will put forward some suggestions on how to strengthen China's soft power in ASEAN further.This paper is divided into four parts.The first part mainly introduces the significance,the current situation,the train of thought and the methods of this study.The second part defines the concept of soft power,explores the thoughts of soft power in the Marxist International Theory,and analyses the relation between the China-ASEAN Cooperation and the construction of China's soft power theoretically.The third part appraises the current situation of China's soft power in ASEAN,and points out the achievements and existing problems of the construction of soft power.The fourth part puts forward some political suggestions on how to improve China's soft power further in ASEAN .The fifth part concludes the main arguments of this paper.