Australia has always punched above its weight at the Olympics and was perhaps the first country to realize the soft power that can be harnessed by sporting success on the international stage.

In embassies and chancelleries the world over, ediplomacy seems to be the new rock & roll. Perhaps we have even reached the point, to bastardise Aneurin Bevan's classic quote about unilateral nuclear disarmament, where to deprive a foreign secretary or ambassador of a Twitter account is to send him naked into the conference chamber. Last week, DFAT finally lifted its ambassadorial tweeting embargo, signaling an end to a culture of online reticence that was starting to cop some flak.

Australia is world famous for its beautiful and productive natural assets, the unique lifestyle and friendly people. But this is only part of the story. The challenge is ensuring Australia is known for being clever and not just beautiful; to make sure the achievements of our scientists, designers, artists and entrepreneurs are acknowledged, helping them to compete globally.

The report calls for new measures to build trust and improve perceptions of each other in the fields of education, diplomacy, media and security. They include doubling Australia’s public diplomacy budget, extending post-study work rights to international students, and training Australian teachers in Hindi language in anticipation of it being added to the Australian curriculum.

The Sydney International Food Festival (SIFF) is a huge month-long celebration in October showcasing hundreds of top chefs and their work. Back in 2009 branding and media agency TBWA boiled down the whole idea of the festival and created ‘flags’ of the participating nations out of the food that is distinctive to each.

Through the Colombo Plan, the Menzies Government draw in the best and brightest students to universities in Australia and students who came to Australia under the plan developed this lasting impression and an understanding of our country and our way of life and built a legacy of enduring friendship between peoples and countries in the region.

Queensland businesswoman reflects on her role in forging ties with China.

In a new paper, East Asia Program Director Linda Jakobson argues that the weak relationship between Canberra and Beijing is hurting Australia's ability to exert influence in the region.