Commentary
Within the realm of geopolitics, the word “power” is synonymous with acts of aggression, including military might and harsh sanctions.
This is known as hard power. Its lesser discussed sibling, soft power, shies away from coercion and threats. Instead, proponents of the softer approach choose the carrot over the stick; they prefer to shape preferences through appeal and attraction.
In addition to the hard and soft variants, there’s another type of power that’s worth discussing. It’s called sharp power, a type of influence that relies on manipulative tactics. Of course, one cannot discuss manipulation without discussing China, a country that excels at using sharp power….