But with 998,000 overseas foreign workers in 2014, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China has slowly come to realize that operating globally means indeed greater risk and the requirement therein to protect both its foreign nationals and overseas investments. To this end, China has increasingly felt the pressure of being in the middle of potentially hostile territory throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Officially, the Confucius Institute (CI) is a non-profit educational initiative which partners with schools across the globe to provide Chinese language instruction, scholarships for students to study in China, and to promote greater understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

When American political scientist Joseph Nye says China’s soft power is limited, he isn’t kidding. China ranked dead last on a 30-country index of soft power released last week by Portland Communications. The index assessed countries on six measures of reputation and influence.

The government of North Korea has rightfully gained a reputation in the West for isolation and obstinacy, but its diplomatic ventures in Africa have poised it to be significantly more influential on that continent than potentially anywhere else. 

The UK has come first in the soft power index, a global ranking of the 30 countries with the most soft power, based on the strength of nations’ so called soft power resources Soft power is a form of global power that shuns traditional foreign policy carrot and stick methods.