For Australia, a key focus of its foreign policy should be how to balance its economic ties with China and its cultural ties with the United States; appeasing both without getting in the middle of an ugly tug-o-war that forces Canberra to take sides.

The US government has used hip-hop as an unlikely foreign policy tool to reach youth and promote democracy abroad. In the mid-2000s, as the United States faced ongoing challenges in the Middle East, the State Department launched hip-hop tours and workshops throughout the Muslim world.

The U.S. and Cuba -- two superpowers in contemporary music -- have been trading (and blending) all along, even during the embargo, each one an equal partner.  Perhaps our governments can use this model to build bridges and renew relationships between our two countries. Let’s call it “jazz diplomacy."

Surpassing France, China has become the third largest destination for international students in 2014. According to the latest figures from the Chinese Ministry of Education, there are over 337,000 international students studying in the mainland, which account for 8 percent of all international students across the world.

Linthicum's Alicia Canterna, a professional dancer, will make an historic trip with her dance company, Company E, when it travels under the auspices of the State Department to Cuba to perform in the Old Havana Dance Festival from Sunday to April 22.

The creation and love-child of two multi-talented persons, Roberto Ruta and Lisa Chiari, to call MENOW just a film festival would be a gross understatement. This is a meeting of minds, a salute to all the great arts and culture that the Region has to offer, complete with delicious food tastings, exclusive concerts and yes, of course, stunning new films.

Whatever happened to real cultural diplomacy with Iran? In April 1976, as part of a celebration of the bicentennial of America, I was officially invited to Tehran along with several other runway fashion models to present the collections of 16 of America's top designers.

On a political level, it is clear that both the Americans and the Vietnamese have an interest in moving past the long ago war and strengthening areas of cooperation. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the normalization of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam and the relationship is rapidly developing.