China's mixed human rights record is not just bad for its citizens. It is a strategic weakness that complicates its foreign relations and diminishes its soft power. The state's harsh treatment of individuals and minorities regularly disrupts its bilateral relationships.

In China, this media push is known as "soft power." While many believe editorial restrictions will prevent Chinese media from competing on a world stage, it already reaches a wide audience. Over 2.5 million copies of China Daily's advertising supplement have been distributed in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the U.K. Daily Telegraph.