New Delhi, May 25 -- China's rise is no longer measured only by the size of its economy, army, or exports. It is also measured by roads, ports, bridges, power plants, scholarships, digital platforms, media networks, and diplomatic language. This is the new face of soft power. In the past, soft power often meant culture, cinema, education, language, and public image. Today, China has expanded that meaning. It has turned infrastructure into influence and development finance into diplomacy. This is visible across the world, but it is especially visible in South Asia.

Globally, China has become one of the most active builders of the developing world. The Belt and Road Initiative, launched in 2013, now includes about 150 countries. In 2025, C...