New publication: Mapping the Scope of China’s Soft Power in Estonia

We are happy to announce that article by our research fellows "Mapping the Scope of China’s Soft Power in Estonia" was published by East Asian Policy. The article examines China’s soft power in Estonia since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013.

Researchers found that there are various sources and instruments of China’s soft power in Estonia. In this article, they map the sources and instruments as well as name and analyse them by naming sources, main instruments, selected transmitters, and intended receivers. In more detail, the article focuses on the role of culture (joint cultural events, Confucius Institute) and science and technology development (Huawei Technologies Eesti, ZTE Corporation, Tencent Estonia).. The article also discusses policy makers' perceptions of China (like Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service and Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Estonian public’s perception of China. 

Findings have suggested that while Beijing’s domestic political values do not inform its projection of soft power, the Estonian government and general public perceive China mainly through the prism of its state-centric governance model and consequently view most of China’s deployment of supposedly “soft” power as sharp. 

Read more: Mapping the Scope of China’s Soft Power in Estonia (worldscientific.com)

Authors: Agnieszka Nitza-Makowska, Kikee Doma Bhutia, Urmas Hõbepappel, Lelde Luik, Anastasia Sinitsyna and Elo Süld