Written in bone: China bets on ancient scripts for modern soft power

China has established an institute dedicated to preserving rare and endangered historical disciplines, advancing Beijing’s push to elevate traditional culture as a pillar of its soft power and national narrative.The institute was inaugurated at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (UCASS) in Beijing on Friday, alongside the launch of an association to consolidate nationwide resources involving the studies.The institute includes a dozen ancient ethnic minority scripts such as Tangut and Old Tibetan, whose surviving texts provide insights into the histories of northwestern China border regions, as well as oracle bone inscriptions dating back more than 3,000 years and representing the country’s earliest known fully developed writing system.