A recent report released by the Brand Finance of the United Kingdom shows that China has overtaken the UK to rank second in the Global Soft Power Index 2025. It said China's growth in six of the eight soft power pillars and two-thirds of the indicators can be attributable to its promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative, intensified efforts for sustainable development, and increasing influence of its domestic brands.

Thanks to numerous cooperation projects carried out under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, China has promoted infrastructure building and economic development in other countries involved in the initiative. China has also made remarkable achievements in artificial intelligence, renewable energy and space exploration.

The retrieval of lunar soil from the far side of the moon, the successful drilling of the first exploration well exceeding 10,000 meters in the deep earth field, and the rise of its AI startup DeepSeek, all show China's strength in scientific and technological innovation.

The increasing reach of Chinese films and music and the inclusion of China's Spring Festival in the list of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage all show the unique charm of Chinese culture.

China's economy contributes around 30 percent to world economic growth. The ever-increasing presence of Chinese companies across the world has promoted the effective allocation of global capital and contributed to the coordinated development of the world economy. The BRI projects across the world are playing an increasingly important role in promoting regional economic cooperation and global economic growth.

China's increasing soft power has promoted trade exchanges and cooperation with other countries. It helps lower trade barriers, expand market access, and promote global trade liberalization and facilitation. Countries around the world have also begun realizing that China's huge production capacity and market demand are an important force driving the global economic recovery.

China's increased efforts for innovation and green development have provided useful reference for the green transformation and sustainable development of the global economy, and the extensive cooperation carried out by Chinese technology enterprises and research institutions with global counterparts have promoted scientific and technological progress and innovative development.

The significant improvement of China's soft power is inevitably reflected in the improvement of its hard power and in the innovation of its development model and concept, which has injected new impetus into the global economy. With the continuous improvement of China's soft power and the deepening of global cooperation, the world economy is expected to usher in better prospects.

ECONOMIC DAILY