Explores China's cultural soft power by examining the rise and fall of Confucius Institutes in the United States.
Through interviews with Confucius Institute personnel, Shao-cheng Sun analyzes the reasons these institutes succeeded or failed, their effectiveness at improving China's image in the United States, and the results of their closure.
These institutes acted as a cultural ambassador: seeking foreign partners, enhancing China's status, and increasing its human capital. The U.S. government, mass media, and scholars have kept a watchful eye on the proliferation of the institutes. While the institutes highlighted the positive aspects of China, Sun explores why they were ultimately not effective.
This book provides a complete picture of the institutes' collapse amid tension between the U.S. and China. It offers a full-cycle analysis of their enterprise in the U.S., from its origins in the early 2000s through 2026.