Ministers see urgency of west’s declining influence, but funding for institutions such as BBC World Service is tightMinisters accused of being ‘asleep at the wheel’ over UK’s soft power around the worldThe US is retreating from international cooperation, cutting support for free media abroad and reducing financial aid. Russia and China are spending up to £8bn on their global media activities to boost their influence. Amid these global tensions, the UK government recognises the dangers of a western retreat – but is struggling to fund a response.With such huge shifts in world politics, it is no wonder that some politicians fear the west is losing the “soft power” battle – a phrase coined by the academic Joseph Nye in the 1980s to describe the ability to influence other nations through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion. Continue reading...