Nation branding as nation building: China's Image Campaign

This paper illustrates the links between China's nation building exercises and its efforts to promote the country as a 'brand'. By using the examples of the Shanghai Expo, China's national image films and the revival of Confucius, I show how Chinese soft power is both inward and outward looking. Understanding this dual role of soft power is important in comprehending the underlying motivations behind China's attempts to create and manage its identity as orderly, prosperous and legitimate. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.