China’s Soft and Sharp Power in Europe: Telling the ‘Right Chinese Story’ Through Confucius Institutes

This article examines the interaction between soft power and sharp power in China’s global strategy, focusing on Confucius Institutes as instruments of both cultural diplomacy and political influence. While China’s soft power has been extensively studied and sharp power has recently gained academic attention, the complementarity between these two forms of power remains underexplored. Through this article, we argue that China employs a strategic combination of attraction and manipulation to shape favourable narratives, suppress sensitive discussions, and advance its international agenda. This research adopts a qualitative approach, investigating the role of Confucius Institutes in Europe as a case study of this China’s dual strategy. Our findings suggest that Confucius Institutes function as channels for both soft and sharp power, subtly influencing academic and public discourse while simultaneously projecting China’s geopolitical interests.