The Role of Soft Power in EU-China Relations: Limits, Challenges, and Strategic Responses.

This thesis explores the role of soft power in shaping the international political landscape with a specific focus on China's soft power strategy and its implementations in relations with Europe. The research draws from academic English sources and newspapers articles published primarily in the last decade. The study begins with an introduction of the theory of soft power, outlining its main strengths and limitations. The central section presents a detailed analysis of China’s approach to soft power, highlighting its main tools and the soft components of significant strategic initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative. In this case, particular attention is given to Italy, the only G7 country to take part in the initiative, and how its engagement within the BRI proved unsuccessful. The thesis also examines the evolution of EU-China relations, focusing on the recent developments that have contributed to a decline in the effectiveness of Chinese soft power in Europe. The final part evaluates the European Union’s strategic response to China’s growing soft power ambitions and offers a prediction of the possible future evolution in the global campaign for influence, where traditional hard power tools are increasingly integrated with softer instruments of influence.