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.

US, China Join Global Climate Agreement

President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday joined a global agreement to cut greenhouse gases, moving the world toward a significant reduction in climate-warming emissions faster time frame than previously imagined.

Tags: US, china, global aid & development, global issues, climate change, barack obama, xi jinxing, united nations, government pd

Modi's Religion Diplomacy Spreads Wings in Vietnam

n sync with PM Narendra Modi government’s religion diplomacy, which plays a pivotal role in its foreign policy, India has offered help to Vietnam to restore a Hindu temple in the country belonging to the Champ civilisation. The diplomacy comes at a time when Modi is visiting Vietnam capital Hanoi. The Myson temple has a striking resemblance to Indian temples built during the same period.

Tags: india, vietnam, religion diplomacy, faith diplomacy, new delhi, narendra modi, government pd, foreign policy, hanoi, mason temple, religion, politics

Kenya: Economic Diplomacy Transforming Kenya Into a Global Soft Power

Kenya has recently enhanced its "soft power hegemony" through its economic diplomacy, defined as the strategic use of wide-ranging economic tools and opportunities available to the state to achieve its national interest. Since 2013, Kenya has projected its soft power through economic diplomacy, in turn, transforming the country into 'a global soft power'.

Tags: smart & soft power, kenya, economic diplomacy, geopolitics, east africa, joseph nye, globalization

Korean Wave Best Tool for Public Diplomacy with US: Diplomat

The Korean Wave, or the popularity of Korean culture, is the best tool for South Korea in reaching American people and bringing the two countries' closer together, said a United States diplomat recently posted in Seoul. "I think the best thing to use is a soft power approach. The best thing Koreans have going for them in foreign countries is the Korean Wave," Brian Peterson said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Friday.

Tags: south korea, US, Cultural Diplomacy, korean wave, seoul, cultural exchange, international exchange

Why India Needs to Cash in on Bollywood's Soft Power

In a day and age when the application of armed forces to resolve disputes between countries becomes less probable, the concept of "soft power" takes on a life of its own. Amongst the tools of political influence, the role of cinema as a soft power cannot be undermined. Bollywood’s ability to shape narratives in the course of diplomacy gives soft power a whole new connotation and also redefines "the best propaganda is not propaganda" dictum.

Tags: india, bollywood, smart & soft power, cinema, propaganda, international image, political influence, pakistan

Refugees and Tech: Scenes From a Greek Tragedy

During a 10-day trip in June, we talked to officials, migrants and activists in Athens, Lesvos -- the Greek island where most refugees first set foot in Europe last year , and Thessaloniki, near the closed border of Macedonia, shutting migrants' way out. Our mission: to see if the technology that many of us use every day: phones, the internet, messaging apps, social networks -- is helping during this crisis. Or not.

Tags: refugee crisis, greece, europe, digital diplomacy & new tech, syrian refugees, social media, mobile apps, global aid & development

Saudi Arabia Eager to Serve as Window to Japanese Culture

Saudi Arabia is eager to become a gateway to Japan and its culture in the Middle East as it seeks to deepen economic relations between the two nations [...] In an interview, he unveiled a plan for the state-run Saudi Press Agency to launch a Japanese-language website in December to promote information exchange between the two countries.

Tags: saudi arabia, japan, middle east, japanese culture, economic development, international exchange, government pd

Taiwan's Trouble Talking to the World

For twenty years, I have been researching and writing about Taiwan’s external communications – it’s propaganda, public diplomacy, cultural relations, and what is now called “soft power”. I remain committed to understanding how a state [...] can use external communications to project globally its values and ambitions, and thereby further its political and diplomatic agenda.

Tags: taiwan, china, asia, smart & soft power, digital diplomacy & new tech, social media, twitter, culture, propaganda, international image

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