Soft Power and Public Diplomacy in Türkiye–China Relations

This study examines the growing role of soft power in Türkiye–China relations by analysing how media, culture, sports, and academic exchanges function as instruments of public diplomacy beyond traditional economic and security-based interactions. Drawing on Joseph Nye’s conceptualisation of soft power, the article explores how both countries seek to shape foreign public opinion through cultural visibility, digital media strategies, people-to-people exchanges, and institutional outreach. The paper demonstrates that China has developed a systematic, multi-layered public diplomacy architecture in Türkiye through state-supported media, cultural institutes, social-media diplomacy, and humanitarian engagement, while Türkiye’s outreach in China remains more fragmented and constrained by structural, regulatory, and institutional limitations. Through case studies ranging from cultural years, film festivals, and tourism promotion to sports diplomacy and e-sports platforms, the analysis highlights how popular culture and digital interaction increasingly shape mutual perceptions. The article also assesses the role of academic institutions and think tanks as soft-power intermediaries that facilitate dialogue, knowledge exchange, and media visibility, while identifying the limits of their societal reach. It argues that although Türkiye–China soft-power interactions have expanded significantly in recent years, the lack of continuity, institutional depth, and integrated strategy weakens their long-term impact. By situating culture, sports, media, and academia within a broader foreign-policy framework, this study contributes to understanding how emerging middle and great powers deploy soft power in complex bilateral relationships shaped by geopolitical sensitivities and global competition.