Whether or not Shakespeare fits the political message Beijing wants to deliver, a viewing of “Hamlet” is in keeping with the populist brand of public diplomacy favored by Mr. Wen, who has often added cultural events to his visits abroad.

Some politicians, scholars and officials wishfully claim that co-operative activities such as ship visits, combined disaster-relief exercises or partnership against piracy will translate into wider strategic trust. But there is little sign this is happening.

The university is the largest and oldest institution of higher learning in Hungary. It now serves as a key place for teaching Chinese language. Hungarian students from the university's Confucius Institute, a Chinese-Hungarian bilingual school and a martial art teaching center, performed Chinese folk songs and Tai Ji.

The comprehensive gag on Ai, who is not allowed to post anything on Twitter or accept interviews for a year, raises questions about the Chinese government's repeated claims that his was purely an economic case.

Students all over the world are learning Chinese and reaping its benefits. The number is rising as China plays a more important role on the world stage and offers many job opportunities. And learning about 5,000 years of culture is a big draw.

...carefully consider who was offering to pay for it. The money would come from the Hanban, an arm of the Chinese government...That’s the same government...that jailed Nobel-prize winner Liu Xiaobo for 11 years...and the same government that employs 50,000 citizens to scour the Internet in search of dissent.

Senior officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) begin talks in China this week to find investors in agriculture, industry and roads and other physical infrastructure. Some groups have expressed concern that increased investment will only benefit the Asian giants and African elites.

More than a platform releasing important information about top Chinese officials' state visits and providing timely contact information in case of emergencies, the microblog also shares the experiences of diplomats working abroad and lighthearted information, such as the proper table manners, with Internet users.