This paper attempts to analyze the Chinese discourse on soft power and address these majour issues: How do the Chinese elite understand and interpret soft power? Why is there sucha a strong interest in soft power in China? What role do the Chinese elite assign to soft power in China's international strategy in the 21st century? To answer these questions, I thoroughly examine various official documents, prominet scholarly writing, and the most influential national-level media reports and analyses. This study reveals that Chinese views on soft power are variegated, with the mainstream believing that soft power is stil a weak link in China's strategic planning but nevertheless should be an important component in China's rising strategy. At the moment, soft power is largely perceived as a tool for defensive purposes in Chian's international politics and a means for various domestic goals. I conclude that a grand Chinese soft power strategy is still in its embryonic phase.