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.
URI students can now major in Chinese
The University’s 2007 Honors Colloquium, China Rising, and the establishment of a Confucius Institute at URI, one of only 20 Confucius Institutes in the U.S. and one of only 156 in the world at that time, boosted interest in Chinese language learning. An annual URI Moon Festival and other activities draw appreciative crowds.
Vice President Joe Biden joins Twitter
Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, is on Twitter. Known for making the occasional hilarious gaffe in a speech from time to time, the microblogging platform that is Twitter introduces new possibilities for Biden to throw out a bit of straight talk directly to the world.
U.S. foreign policy: In praise of nation-building
If the U.S. and its allies are to address national security challenges successfully, then there is no choice but to engage in nation-building. The problem isn't that we are engaged in nation-building. The problem is that we do it so poorly. The U.S military hasn't fully embraced it as a part of its mission, and neither has the State Department.
Obama, Israel and the Jewish vote
Judging from voting trends during the past three decades, Democratic President Barack Obama can rest assured that he will receive a majority of Jewish votes in the 2012 presidential election. Obama will undoubtedly continue to enjoy wide support among American Jewry. But it is a sobering thought, as the US celebrates July 4, that this does not mean his Mideast policies will be good for Israel.
As Number One, China Faces a Choice
Recently the International Monetary Fund confirmed what the average Chinese has long anticipated: China will soon have the world's largest economy, surpassing the United States. Some Chinese believe that passing this milestone will have automatic consequences for international politics, giving China more international influence. But as history shows, the path may not have a single destination.
McDonald’s goes green in the Gulf
The world's second-largest restaurant chain announced a venture with a local company in the United Arab Emirates that will lower McDonald's carbon footprint by converting its frying oil into biodiesel. It is the first time that a company in the oil-rich Middle East has used biodiesel to power vehicles on this scale
Colin Powell Extols Benefits of “Soft” Power in Kent Talk
In a stance that roughly paralleled that of President Theodore Roosevelt, who famously advised, “Speak softly, but carry a big stick,” General Powell said the U.S. should work through “soft power”—diplomacy, humanitarian aid and the like—to achieve its goals, using military action only as a last resort.
Egypt aims to boost cultural exchange with China
Egypt has approved of setting up a cultural bureau in China's capital Beijing as part of its efforts to enhance cultural exchange with China, Egyptian state news agency MENA reported Sunday. Egypt's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Amr Salama said the bureau aimed at stronger relations between the two countries in cultural, scientific, and educational fields.
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