Research Institute of Strategic Studies (RISS) Strategic Studies Quarterly 1735-0727 24 1 2021 05 22 The Art of Covert Influence: China's "Sharp Power" strategy in the world The Art of Covert Influence: China's "Sharp Power" strategy in the world 183 211 133899 FA Majid Rouhi Dehbaneh .. Journal Article 2021 02 18 Power is one of the basic concepts of international relations. This concept, which means the actor's ability to achieve the desired results, is applied in different ways; including hard, soft and smart. With the growing power of the media, the dynamism of the relations between the great powers, and also their competition for more influence and power, another concept of power has emerged, which is called "sharp power". In recent years, China has used various tactics and techniques to manipulate and attract public attention at home and abroad to advance its goals and objectives in the international and regional arenas, which some analysts have described as "sharp power." They believe that China, using its party ideology, monitors the media, universities, leaders, politicians, and Western research and economic centers, and seeks to manage and limit what is being said and published about China. Behind all these actions, there are ideological, geopolitical and economic goals and objectives. This article, while explaining the concept of "sharp power", seeks to examine why and how China uses this method of exercising power to advance its foreign policy goals. Power is one of the basic concepts of international relations. This concept, which means the actor's ability to achieve the desired results, is applied in different ways; including hard, soft and smart. With the growing power of the media, the dynamism of the relations between the great powers, and also their competition for more influence and power, another concept of power has emerged, which is called "sharp power". In recent years, China has used various tactics and techniques to manipulate and attract public attention at home and abroad to advance its goals and objectives in the international and regional arenas, which some analysts have described as "sharp power." They believe that China, using its party ideology, monitors the media, universities, leaders, politicians, and Western research and economic centers, and seeks to manage and limit what is being said and published about China. Behind all these actions, there are ideological, geopolitical and economic goals and objectives. This article, while explaining the concept of "sharp power", seeks to examine why and how China uses this method of exercising power to advance its foreign policy goals. https://quarterly.risstudies.org/article_133899_a30267237e279e92e0ba8cfbf438ee44.pdf