A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.

Soft Power: Cinema’s Center of Gravity is Shifting Eastwards

CineAsia is upon us already, the last major cinema conference of the year and a time to take stock. This show has taken on new significance in recent years as it highlights the growth of Asia as a film market and the increasing importance of the region to global cinema. The Asia-Pacific region will account for 40.4% of global box office in 2016.

Tags: smart & soft power, cinema, asia pacific, china, CineAsia, Cultural Diplomacy, indonesia, digital platforms, cultural influence

Time to Brand Nigeria

Branding is all about perception and Nigeria’s is not where it should be by a long stretch. We can no longer afford to leave Nigeria’s branding in the hands of anybody with an opinion on the country. Is it that the government does not know we should brand the country? Do we not know that it has been proven that having a strong country brand, will enhance our respect in the political arena.

Tags: nigeria, africa, nation branding, international image, global influence, south africa, marketing strategy, economic development

EU Boosts 2017 Commitment to Education for Children in Emergencies

Today the European Commission is announcing a further increase of the share of its humanitarian aid budget to lead the way in supporting education projects in emergency situations around the world. The increase from 4% in 2016 to 6% in 2017 of the humanitarian aid budget, puts the Commission well ahead of the global average. 

Tags: european union, global aid & development, education, non state pd, european commission, economic development

In Today's World, The Truth is Losing

Richard Stengel, the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, bluntly states the problem that has been worrying him and should worry us all: “In a global information war, how does the truth win?” The very idea that the truth won’t be triumphant would, until recently, have been heresy to Stengel, a former managing editor of Time magazine.

Tags: op-ed, post-truth, information warfare, propaganda, russian propaganda, social media, u.s., united states, russia, islamic state

Can Football Help Britain Boost Its Post-Brexit Trade?

The English Premier League recently signed its biggest deal outside of the UK. Chinese electronics giant Suning has stumped up £560m for the television rights to broadcast its games to the growing legion of fans there. But it’s not just the size of the agreement that’s eye-catching. It’s a double display of soft power at work: by both China and the UK.

Tags: football diplomacy, britain, post-brexit, brexit, soft power, uk, china, english premier league

China's Approach to the Middle East Looks Familiar

Over the past few decades of China’s rise, Beijing’s soft power pitch to the developing east has been an indictment of Ugly Americanism. China had fallen victim to Western and Japanese imperialism, and as a result pledged to act not as a patron but a partner in decolonialism and development. 

Tags: china, middle east, beijing, soft power, counter terrorism, saudi arabia, one belt one road, government pd

Trump Means Tough Choices For British Diplomacy

When Donald J Trump is sworn in on 20 January as the 45th President of the United States, the UK needs to make a choice. Trump’s unique and unpredictable blend of belligerence and isolationism means the US can no longer be relied on to defend the liberal, rules based international order in place since the end of the Second World War. This could mark the end of an era for UK foreign policy. 

Tags: Donald Trump, british diplomacy, britain, united states, nato, uk foreign policy, brexit, isolationism

UN Security Council Set to Approve New NKorea Sanctions

The new sanctions target North Korea's hard currency revenues by placing a "hard, binding cap" on coal exports, cutting them by at least 62 percent, capping them at around $400 million or 7.5 million tons, diplomats said. According to the Global Trade Atlas, China is on track to import nearly $1 billion worth of coal from North Korea in 2016 despite a previous sanctions regime.

Tags: united nations, un security council, north korea, nuclear sanction, russia, china, britain, france, foreign policy

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