Now more nations rely on their soft power to find diplomatic solutions. When it comes to this, films, especially commercial films, are some of the best choices around. 

The consequences of China’s continued strong growth, and prolonged economic weakness in much of the west, have been more than financial. In terms of perceptions, many international publics believe the global economic balance of power has swung sharply toward the country.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the Chinese government invested about 1.33 billion yuan ($214 million) by the end of 2014 to build overseas China Cultural Centers and is expected to add another 360 million yuan for developing and running the institutes in 2015. That’s up 181 percent from last year!

Opinion polls tell us that almost half of the British public would like the Crown to skip a generation and pass straight the Duke of Cambridge. In China this week, it felt as though it already had.

China threw open its arms to welcome Prince William, as the second-in-line to the throne made his first visit to the mainland by a member of the royal family since 1986. The Duke of Cambridge focused his three-day trip on culture, sports and activities promoting the protection of wildlife.

The United States which has increasingly taken Latin America for granted is now challenged by China’s soft power diplomacy through hard cash loans.

Mr Nye, a veteran observer of global affairs, is more optimistic. He expects that America will still play the central role in the global balance of power in the 2040s. What, after all, is the alternative?