THE ROLE OF SOFT POWER IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN IDEOLOGICAL CONFRONTATION BETWEEN CHINA AND THE USA

Abstract

The article examines the specifics of the use of soft power strategies by the United States and China in the context of the ideological struggle and competition for leadership in the international arena in the post-bipolar era. It is argued that in the conditions of confrontation at the information-psychological and especially cognitive levels of influence, both states use rather aggressive models of «soft» influence, both on neutral actors and on actors who are allies and partners of each other. The author shares his thoughts on the effectiveness of certain approaches and means of competing states, and also analyzes them within the framework of a SWOT analysis.Considering the experience of using soft power by the United States, the author notes the problem of the lack of new approaches and practices to the use of non-military methods of influence, which is necessary for a state claiming the status of a single superpower of our time. The emergence of new challenges and threats that hinder the stable dominance of the United States, such as the emergence of new geopolitical players claiming this role, an unbalanced foreign policy towards the Middle East, the lack of democratization processes in the former USSR member states and the lack of balance in the production of soft and hard power between the United States and partner countries have inevitably led to a crisis of the idea of t he liberal world order.Analyzing the capabilities of the soft power of China in the context of ideological confrontation, the author concludes about the lack of its flexibility. It is due to such factors as the lack of a developed and multilateral network of agents of the soft power of China, as well as its obvious internal focus. In addition, the self-discrediting of China in the field of ensuring the rights and freedoms of citizens, as well as its perception as a threat in the region and the world, which is certainly due to securitization by the US, does not allow the leader of the Asia region to establish trusting relationships with foreign audiences. At the same time, the article notes the high potential in the creation and generation of soft power of China, as the only alternative to the Americanization of the world.