The central business district of Beijing. /VCG

China has become the world's second most influential soft power nation, after the United States, according to the sixth annual Global Soft Power Index released by Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy, on Thursday.

The report shows that China surpassed Britain to claim second place with a score of 72.8 out of 100, marking its highest-ever ranking. The country demonstrated statistically significant growth across six of the eight soft power pillars, such as culture and heritage, media and communication, education and science, and two-thirds of the measured attributes, driven by initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative, an increased emphasis on sustainability, and the strengthening of domestic brands.