China praised for its soft skills

China has topped a key economic index that measures the global effects being delivered by a country's "soft power", or its ability to influence the actions of others through intangible assets such as culture, political values and institutions.

According to E&Y's Rapid Growth Market Soft Power Index, in conjunction with the Moscow-based Skolkovo Institute for Emerging Markets Studies, countries with strong soft power brands attract significantly more foreign direct investment.