As US retreats, is there a ‘soft power’ opportunity for UK?

Key soft power institutions such as the BBC World Service and the British Council are struggling to cope with financial pressures. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images

The 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.