CHINA SHOULD HARVEST ITS SOFT POWER

Internet videos of young (and beautiful) Chinese ladies living a back-to-nature lifestyle have gone viral in China (Sina Weibo) as well as overseas (Youtube).  Overseas viewers observe how beautiful and clean the Chinese countryside actually is (as opposed to the images of pollution often shown in the international press).  They also admire how these ladies are so independent and live harmoniously with nature.

Here's a chance for China to harvest its soft power.  China has an abundant supply of beautiful, talented, and tech-savvy people who can convey a message about the country that money cannot buy.  If the Chinese government were farsighted, it should invest in people like Li Ziqi (see her video below) who are doing more to promote China and Chineseness than any overpriced PR firm could.