[Multilingual Matters 01] • Soft Power and the Worldwide Promotion of Chinese Language Learning

a ~The Confucius Institute Projecta (TM) a " consisting of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms, the posting of Chinese language teachers to overseasA schools and universities and the Chinese Bridge language competition a " represents an attempt by China to extend its influence globally through the use of soft power.A Facilitated by a rapidly increasing demand for Chinese language learning, it has established a presence across the globe and made valuable contributions to the learning and teaching of Chinese. However, this has not necessarily led to an increasingly positive view of China, either at a political or a societal level. Through an analysis of official documents, interviews with those involved, a survey of Chinese-language learners and a study of academic and media sources, the author evaluates the aims of the project, and discusses whether these aims are being met.