As noted by The Economist, the Chinese Communist Party has not bought into the idea that soft power springs largely from individuals, the private sector, and civil society. Instead, it has clung to the view that the government is the main source of soft power, promoting ancient cultural icons that it thinks might have global appeal, often using the tools of propaganda.
另一个制约因素是中国不愿充分利用不受审查的公民社会。《经济学人》（Economist）指出，中共对于软实力主要来自个人、私人部门和公民社会的思想不买账。相反，中共坚持认为政府是软实力的主要来源，推广其认为具有全球吸引力的古代文化形象——通常是通过宣传工具进行。