Authors: Ananya Kukreja, Isa Mathew, Jay Kalra

Abstract

This paper examines and compares the soft power strategies of the United States of America and China in the twenty-first century while focusing on the role of digital platforms, algorithms and influencer culture as instruments of soft power projection. Using Joseph Nye’s framework of soft power as the primary lens, the study conducts a qualitative comparative analysis of China’s statedriven model, characterised by centralised content control and platform governance, and the market-led model in the United States of America, which operates through decentralised privatesector actors and influencer economies. The paper focuses on this comparison prominently within the geopolitical context of the South Asian region, where both nations constantly compete for cultural and political influence.

Keywords: Soft power; United States of America; China; Joseph Nye; TikTok; ByteDance; Influencer marketing; Algorithms; Digital diplomacy; Platform governance