President Obama and six other world leaders said Monday that they would not meet at the so-called Group of Eight summit in June in Sochi, Russia, and instead would convene at that time in Brussels, without Russia, to discuss the “broad agenda we have together.”

Tags: belgium, crimea, g7, g8, group of eight, russia, sochi, summitry, ukraine, united states

Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed here Monday that the United States should honor its commitment to respect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Taiwan and Tibet issues. At a meeting with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of a nuclear security summit slated for Monday and Tuesday, Xi said Washington should never support any activities aimed at separating China.

Tags: barack obama, china, east china sea, foreign policy, south china sea, sovereignty, taiwan, tibet, united states, xi jinping

As the Twitter wars rage in Turkey and rumors spread that the social-media site might give the Turkish authorities information on users, the website took time to reassure Turks that it would do no such thing, the Turkish media site Hurriyet reported on Monday.

Tags: censorship, media, privacy, protest, recep tayyip erdogan, social media, surveillance, turkey, twitter

It's often said that the closest interaction many Americans have with other countries' cultures is through food. That kind of culinary diplomacy is particularly common in Washington, D.C., where immigrants from all over the world have cooked up a diverse food scene.

Tags: chef ambassador, Cultural Diplomacy, gastrodiplomacy, gastronomy, nation branding, public diplomacy, united states

Mexican food has suffered an image problem. When people say they want Mexican food they think fajitas, or hard shell tacos, or chile con queso. These “Tex Mex” fast food interpretations discredit a cuisine that has arose from ancient civilizations that pre-date the arrival of the Spaniards.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, diplomacy, food history, gastrodiplomacy, gastronomy, mexican cultural institute, mexico, pati jinich, united states

International Relations Professor, Alan Henrikson once wrote that public diplomacy should be thought of as a form of engagement. Although Professor Henrikson’s article focused on governments, nongovernmental organizations have also proved their ability to develop sophisticated public diplomacy campaigns that engage both governments and the private sector.

Tags: community research advisors group, global health, medical diplomacy, ngos, non-state actors, tara ornstein, treatment action group, tuberculosis

Israeli foreign ministry employees have intensified a long-running dispute over pay and conditions by declaring a full-scale strike at home and at diplomatic missions around the world. "The ministry in Jerusalem will remain closed and Israel's missions abroad will not open as of Monday morning, March 24," the ministry's website said.

Tags: avigdor lieberman, consulates, diplomacy, diplomatic missions, embassies, israel, israeli foreign ministry, middle east, pope francis

First lady, Michelle Obama is currently visiting China with her daughters, Sasha and Malia and her mother, Marian Robinson. The trip marks the first ever made by a first lady to China without her husband in tow. Mrs. Obama is there to promote educational exchanges between the U.S. and China but she has also subtly been addressing the issue of freedom of expression.

Tags: academic exchange, china, education diplomacy, exchange diplomacy, freedom of speech, media, michelle obama, soft power, united states