East Asia: Facts and Analytics, 2026/2
DOI: 10.24412/2686-7702-2026-2-79-92
URL: PDF
Author
| Makeev Artem S. |
| Diplomatic Academy of MGIMO of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation |
| ORCID: 0009-0004-9515-2249 |
| E-mail: yeelmao4@gmail.com |
Abstract
The article analyzes the concept of “smart power” as interpreted by Chinese political thought. The author introduces a previously unproposed translation of “skillful power” for the first time, emphasizing the significance of the concepts of “virtuosity” and “mastery” in Chinese discourse. The study traces the emergence of the concept of “smart power”. It is noted that Chinese scholars began actively using this concept in the late 2000s, primarily as a reaction to the foreign policy strategy of the Obama administration. Special attention is paid to the cultural and philosophical foundations of the Chinese interpretation of this concept. It is argued that the ideas of balancing “hard” and “soft” factors have deep roots in China’s traditional philosophy. Unlike the Western interpretation, the Chinese approach integrates “smart power” into a broader concept of “comprehensive state power”. It is concluded that for the PRC “smart power” is understood not as a mechanical combination of methods of “coercion” and “attraction”, but as the skillful, balanced use of the entire spectrum of national resources to achieve strategic goals.
Keywords
PRC, US, “smart power”, “soft power”, “comprehensive state power”, political thought of the PRC, political science, philosophy
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For citation
Makeev A.S. (2026). Vospriyatiye zapadnoy kontseptsii “umnoy sily” v politicheskoy mysli Kitaya [Perception of the Western concept of “smart power” in China’s political thought]. Vostochnaya Aziya: fakty i analitika [East Asia: Facts and Analytics], 8 (2): 79–92. (In Russian). DOI 10.24412/2686-7702-2026-2-79-92
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Dates
| Received Date: | Jun 3, 2026 |
| Accepted Date: | Jun 14, 2026 |
| Publication Date: | Jul 1, 2026 |
International License: CC BY 4.0