Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are seeking to cut into the fabric of nations they wish to influence through the use of sharp power. Sharp power, unlike soft power or hard power, seeks to influence the target nations by stealth. Examples are the Confucius Institutes, which are now attached like limpets to universities around the globe, including Australia. While the ostensible purpose of the Confucius Institutes is to promote Chinese culture, their actual aim is to f…
