The sensationalized “sharp power” term symbolizes the double standards and Cold War thinking as well as the prejudice, discrimination and hostility against China that still exist in the West, Wang Guoqing, spokesperson of the First Session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told a press conference on March 2.

The term "sharp power” has recently caught the attention after it was coined in a U.S. think tank report and mentioned in a December 2017 cover story in The Economist magazine, questioning China’s growing global influence. In contrast, cross-cultural communication by the West is called “soft power” or “smart power.”

“There is no doubt that China has been intensifying its international communication efforts. These efforts aim, not only to present China to the world, but also to give the international community an accurate, multi-dimensional picture of China in a timely fashion,” Wang said.

Copyedited by Francisco Little 

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