The 2024 Soft Power Survey Honors Countries Who Still Practice the Art of Diplomacy in Complex Times

Pandas have long been used as a symbol of international cooperation. Known as "envoys of friendship," the loaning of pandas from China to other nations was so popular for a time that it inspired the term "panda diplomacy" as a way to describe what is otherwise termed in geopolitical circles as "soft power." This is influence exerted based not on military strength but on cultural cache instead.

This week, Monocle released the results of their annual 2024 Soft Power Survey and at the top of the list are France, USA, Switzerland, Japan and Spain. More interesting is the rationale for these choices, which offers a window into the cultural zeitgeist and future plans of all 20 nations that made the list.

From the increasing role of the African and Arab diaspora in France as it prepares for the 2024 Olympics to how Brasil’s image is shifting after the ouster of far-right President Bolsonaro -- this is an article that offers a window into how the world's most powerful nations really operate and what they will be thinking about in 2024.