Why Is China So … Uncool?

If there is one thing that indicates more than anything else that we live in an American-dominated world, it's that no matter where you are on Earth, people will be wearing American clothes. Jeans, t-shirts, Nike runners, American fashion is everywhere. More often than not, if you tune into a local radio station for a short while you will probably come across an American song too.

In a way, it wasn't the military of the United States that won the world, it was its soft power. The same cannot be said for another world power: China.

Despite being the world's second largest economy and one of the world's most populous countries, with a large diaspora, China is struggling to be seen as 'cool'. Its cultural products have failed to spread globally, and unless you had lived in China, the average 'global citizen' would likely have had very little (if any) contact with contemporary Chinese culture.

Indeed, this isn't for a lack of trying. China's government has spent billions trying to create globally relevant cultural products and promote China's rich historical achievements around the world. However, while its neighbors like South Korea and Japan have seen considerable success in this field, China has fallen flat, and its culture is perceived as 'uncool'.

This interesting article by George Gao, a member of the Chinese diaspora in the US, laments these failures and attempts to put them in perspective. It examines potential reasons for the lack of Chinese soft power, including its authoritarian government, rejection of counter-culture, and an obsession with the past. Moreover, it asks a rather poignant question: Can a relatively closed society ever produce an attractive culture?