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.
Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran
The British Museum has received a collection of delicate seventeenth-century Persian artifacts from Iran for its exhibition Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran. In exchange, the British Museum has lent the National Museum of Iran a 2,500 year old clay cylinder inscribed with decrees from Emperor Cyrus the Great. Also in exchange for such rarely seen Persian artifacts, British Museum director Neil MacGregor agreed to promote international awareness of the damage done to Gaza’s archeological sites by Israel’s recent military operation.
Chinese Artists as Cultural Diplomats
The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington D.C, along with the Meridian International Center and the National Art Museum of China are opening Metropolis Now! an art exhibition that will feature a selection of Chinese Contemporary art. The exhibit was organized to commemorate 30 years of formal diplomatic ties between the United States and the People’s Republic of China.
Roadmap for U.S.-China Relations
Sybase CEO John Chen talks about the challenges facing China and a CSIS report on how the U.S. and China can turn their soft power to 'smart power.'...U.S.-China relations are at a turning point, both because elections brought a new party to power in Washington and because of the global economic crash. Chinese leaders are publicly blaming the U.S. for causing the financial crisis, while the U.S. is hoping China can help pull the world out of it.
France Honours Cronenberg
The government of France will announce today it is giving Toronto movie director David Cronenberg its highest honour – the Légion d'Honneur. "The distinction underlines Mr. Cronenberg's achievements to date and recognizes the service he has rendered to French culture and to cultural relations between France and Canada," according to a statement being sent from the Toronto consulate general.
Blocking Terror on Web ‘Counterproductive’
Governments who seek to block terrorist propaganda on the Internet will find that purely technological solutions are "crude, expensive and counterproductive," a new report concludes. The London-based International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence calls on governments to do more than simply "pull the plug" on websites that promote extremist messages, urging them to attack the problem at its root.
Cause for Optimism in the Middle East
An outbreak of amity is threatening to destabilise long-held opinions on the Middle East. A series of recent gatherings has featured surprising lists of guests being nice to each other, and there are more to come. First came last week's meeting in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Attendees included Hillary Clinton, the new US Secretary of State, Nicolas Sarkozy, French President, and a group of Arab nations. They agreed on $4.48bn in aid for the Palestinian economy and the rebuilding of Gaza after the recent Israeli conflict.
China Hits Out At US On Navy Row
China says a US Navy ship involved in Sunday's confrontation with its vessels off the southern island of Hainan violated international and Chinese law. Foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said US complaints that five Chinese vessels had harassed the USNS Impeccable were "totally inaccurate".
China To Spend Billions To Boost Media Credibility
China is reportedly to invest 20 billion yuan to build a powerful media network, in a move to get its message across to the outside world. "It is natural for China to do so. The current struggle between East and West is mainly for the right to be heard," said Huang Youyi, vice president of China International Publishing Group, on the sidelines of the annual session of the CPPCC.
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