China’s soft power and US public opinion

Abstract In recent years, China has been using its soft power (most notably, the establishment of Confucius Institutes) to influence public opinion in foreign countries. However, the literature on soft power has yet to provide a definitive answer about whether that has led to a positive image of China in the foreign audience. Additionally, it is not clear if a positive image would influence public attitudes concerning foreign policies in those countries, such as policies related to trade and military conflicts. Based on an online survey experiment in June 2018, this research shows that soft power information (about positive contributions of Confucius Institutes to the American society) does make the US public feel warmer towards China and become more willing to support trade negotiations. However, the warm feeling does not alter public attitudes towards a potential military conflict with China over disputed islands in the South China Sea. Our study provides both empirical support and advice to policymakers interested in the influence of China’s soft power on US public opinion.