軟權力等同一國之「吸引力」，Joseph S. Nye, Jr.解釋這種吸引力作為無形的概念，當雙方共用「共通價值」或責任義務，並使他方支持或願意為這些價值努力時，則謂軟權力發揮了作用。Nye更進一步談到，一國外交政策可透過合法性（legitimacy）與道德權威（moral authority）來展現軟權力，合法性意指為制度，而道德權威為一國外交手段與風格予以人的觀感。本文以Nye提出的軟權力定義，並從外交政策的角度研究冷戰後中國對東協如何運用軟權力、其目的為何、細節性的實踐內涵、以及中國軟權力得到怎樣的回饋與效果。 事實上，中國對軟權力的定義受到冷戰時期與東協交往經驗影響，與Nye的定義有所出入。中國認為即使拉攏東協的手段多偏向物質性的貿易投資、金援等合作方式，但是「互利」既為中國與東協雙方皆提倡的「共通價值」，則今日東協的民調或官員呈現的好感，亦可謂中國對東協運用之軟權力發生了作用。尤其中國在冷戰後江澤民、胡錦濤兩位領導人對東協積極提倡「新安全觀」、「和諧世界」等政策，呈現了中國展現其軟權力以追求崛起目標的戰略意圖，並且在國際組織的參與、國際法與聯合聲明的簽訂、公共與公民外交、東亞金融風暴等東協政經危機應對上給予東協即時的支持與協助，令東協與中國於冷戰後呈現未曾的友好關係，中國對東協運用軟權力其努力與成果可見一般。 然而中國對東協這樣仍深度建立在物質往來的軟權力，其未來發展亦受到本文從Nye提出無形的軟權力觀點進行檢視。本文提出中國軟權力應摒棄軟權力全然建立在硬權力之上的謬思，加強與東協的理念對話，並進一步發展一套能為國際社會廣泛認同之政治價值或規範，以此中國對東協軟權力或中國整體的軟權力才有化停滯為前進的動力。 / Soft Power is an attractive power of one state. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. explains the attraction as an invisible concept which makes both sides enjoy the “shared value,” and push one party to go along with the other’s purpose, then, the soft power is functional. Moreover, soft power can perform through its benign foreign policies when they seen as legitimate and having moral authority. Legitimacy means the institutions, and moral authority indicates the impression stirred by the tactics or the styles of foreign policies. This study adopts Nye’s soft power hypothesis as a framework to research the way China operates its soft power toward ASEAN, and the ultimate goal and effects it hopes to reach. In fact, China’s soft power is affected by the experiences engaging with ASEAN during the Cold War. China manipulates its practical trades, functional aids, and investments, and it also uses the mutual benefits as a token to form the “shared value” with ASEAN, that time, the soft power works automatically. Still other relevant evidences present as announcement from China’s leaders toward ASEAN, memberships in international organizations, obedience to international laws, aids on public and civil diplomacy, and well-known help to 1997 East Asia financial storm, etc. All of these proper supports lead to ASEAN’s appreciation, and reflect china’s soft power has gained the harvest. Even though China’s soft power toward ASEAN makes its own sense by now, in the long run, China’s soft power may sap due to its deviation from Nye’s definition. This study concludes that China should banish the fallacy which soft power completely roots in the foundation of hard power, and should improve the communication with ASEAN, then should develop its universal political values confirmed by the international society at last. Only in that approach can transform its soft power into a whole new tool, and can step forward to the next era.