The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, in collaboration with the East Asia Institute (EAI), is pleased to announce the release of the final report of the Soft Power in Asia project, which was made possible with generous support from the Korea Foundation. An earlier report, released in June 2008, contained a summary of findings and highlights from this multinational study. The final report includes all survey findings and provides detailed analysis of public perceptions of soft power – the power of attraction rather than coercion – with respect to the four major powers in Asia.
 
The study reveals that despite China’s rising power, the United States is the undisputed leader in soft power in Asia. The final report also contains comprehensive analysis of economic integration in East Asia, regional security, the separate indicators of soft power used in this survey and takes an in-depth look at four important bilateral relationships – U.S.-China, U.S.-Japan, China-Japan, and Japan-South Korea. 

To measure the Soft Power of the four major powers in Asia, the survey examines themes such as the attractiveness of different national cultures and values, the effectiveness of nations as regional leaders and problem-solvers, their attractiveness as trade partners, levels of human capital, the emergence of regional identities, and other relevant topics. It also examines perceptions of growing economic and political integration in East Asia and the impact this has on underlying regional tensions. This is the first survey of its kind conducted in Asia.
 
The Chicago Council and EAI conducted more than 6,000 interviews in China, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States in January and February 2008. The survey asked between forty and sixty questions in order to gauge how citizens of these five Asian nations and the United States view each country’s popular culture, commercial prowess and brands, intellectual influence and appeal, universities, diplomatic reputations, different political systems, and more.