China and the US compete in technology, trade, military influence, geopolitical strategy, and innovation.

Now, the battlefield has expanded to include ideational competition.

From Black Myth: Wukong—an action role-playing game rooted in Chinese mythology—that is sweeping across Steam, to the Chinese blockbuster Nezha 2, and the viral popularity of Labubu (a plush toy monster) around the world, China does not hesitate to share its soft power with the world.

International competition for “hearts and minds” is recognised as a pivotal aspect of great power rivalry, yet both conceptual tools and empirical evidence remain underdeveloped.

Professor Richard Turcsanyi’s presentation introduces findings from the Sinophone Borderlands project (sinofon.cz/surveys), which offers arguably the most comprehensive public opinion survey to date on attitudes toward China and US-China ideational competition in 56 countries and territories worldwide.

He will first look at headline findings regarding the current state of US-China rivalry, then analyse the drivers of public attitudes at global, regional, and national levels. The discussion will delve into specific empirical results and their implications for concepts such as “soft power” and “international attraction”, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for future research and policy.

Chaired by Dov H. LEVIN, Associate Professor at the HKU Department of Politics and Public Administration, this event is open to both the public and the HKU community.