“The world has changed markedly in the more than three decades since political scientist Joseph S. Nye Jr. popularized the term ‘soft power’ in the pages of Foreign Policy,” J. Alex Tarquinio wrote last month. Yet, she continued, “many world leaders still reach for sports, language, food, music, and movies to advance their interests.”

As global powers—from China to Iran to Russia—ramp up their charm offensives, we thought we’d examine the tactics states are using, how effective these measures are, and what they might mean for the future of international relations.—Chloe Hadavas

Soft Power Is Making a Hard Return

Leaders are reaching for fellas and films as much as bullets and blockades, J. Alex Tarquinio writes.

Russia and China Can’t Get Anyone to Like Them

Beijing and Moscow are failing to produce soft power, Christopher Walker writes. But do they really want it?

Iran’s Grand Strategy Has Fundamentally Shifted

Tehran has shifted to using carrots in the region—and reserving sticks for the United States and Israel, Kenneth M. Pollack writes.

Is Europe Any Good at Soft Power?

The increasingly aggressive authoritarianism of Belarus is an acute test of the EU’s diplomatic self-image, FP’s Caroline de Gruyter writes.

China Can’t Catch a Break in Asian Public Opinion

Washington can benefit from Beijing’s soft-power failures, Zuri Linetsky writes.