China soft power quiz
Test your knowledge of Beijing’s global push for hearts and minds
Parallel to its economic and military rise, China has pursued a deliberate strategy fostering its soft power. From Hollywood to football clubs to pandas, Beijing is spending billions of dollars to project its soft power in ways that could influence what you watch in movies or on your TV screen, and who's on your favourite football team. China: The Soft Superpower charts the ways in which China is doing so, explores Beijing's strategic logic and imperative, and questions the strategy's effectiveness.
Question 1 of 10
How many giant pandas are on loan outside mainland China?
The world’s zoos usually pay $1m a year per pair to Beijing for the privilege - plus $600,000 per cub should they breed and $800,000 if a bear dies as a result of human error
Question 2 of 10
Which of the following featured in Paramount Pictures’ 2014 blockbuster Transformers: Age of Extinction?
The co-production with two Chinese studios broke box office records in China, where it grossed more than $300m
Question 3 of 10
State news agency Xinhua has how many followers on Twitter, a platform banned in China?
All of China’s main state-run media groups have a presence on the western social media platforms that are off-limits to it citizens
Question 4 of 10
In how many languages does China Radio International broadcast?
The state-owned broadcaster, which aims to exert “a powerful influence that extends around the globe”, claims to use the most languages of any mainstream global media organisation
Question 5 of 10
How many foreign students and pupils did China host in 2016?
Nearly half are studying for undergraduate degrees at Chinese universities, 15 per cent are postgraduates, and 30 per cent are enrolled in primary or secondary education
Question 6 of 10
How many Confucius Institutes, which are funded by Beijing and promote and teach Chinese language and culture, exist worldwide?
The network has bloomed since the first institute opened in Seoul in 2004 and now has a presence in 140 countries
Question 7 of 10
Chinese investors control which of the following top-flight European football clubs?
In an unprecedented drive into the beautiful game, Chinese companies have also bought stakes in clubs including Atlético Madrid and Manchester City
Question 8 of 10
How many overseas trips did Chinese tourists make in 2016?
While 82 per cent were to Asian destinations, long-haul trips to the US and Europe are increasing rapidly
Question 9 of 10
A Harvard study in
April estimated that the Chinese government fabricates how many social media posts each year?
According to the research, “most of the these posts involve cheerleading for China, the revolutionary history of the Communist Party, or other symbols of the regime”
Question 10 of 10
A teaching manual for the United Front Work Department, the agency behind China’s global soft power push, contains which of the following phrases?
According to the research, “most of the these posts involve cheerleading for China, the revolutionary history of the Communist Party, or other symbols of the regime”