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.

All at sea over Beijing brinksmanship

Some politicians, scholars and officials wishfully claim that co-operative activities such as ship visits, combined disaster-relief exercises or partnership against piracy will translate into wider strategic trust. But there is little sign this is happening.

Tags: china, soft power, military, philippines, southeast asia, south china sea

Seoul-idifying the art of batik diplomacy

From panda to shuttle to ping pong to even Facebook diplomacy, there are many different kinds of diplomatic practices that aim to inform, entertain and bring two nations closer together. There is now a new form of diplomacy straight from the Indonesian island of Java; one which is so heavily entrenched in their culture that even their president, government officials and sultans wear it on official functions.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, indonesia, art diplomacy, fashion diplomacy, batik

‘‘Festival of India’’ kicks off in South Africa

''Festival of India, a two-month long extravaganza exploring Indian culture, has been launched here with a performance by fusion musician Abhijit Pohankar and local group Medumo. The Festival is part of the South Africa-India Programme for Cultural Co-operation which the two countries were committed to during the SA-India Joint Ministerial Meeting which was held in India in March 2011.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, india, cultural exchange, south africa, bilateral relations

Royal visit will put Canada in global spotlight

Monarchy and tourism experts alike say no marketing budget could buy the boost Canada will get from hosting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their first tour abroad since their April 29 wedding captivated the world.

Tags: united kingdom, canada, tourism, monarchy, royal wedding

Cricket diplomacy: New Zealand to bat for FTA with India

Bollywood and cricket will blend with diplomacy when the prime ministers of India and New Zealand hold talks Tuesday to push a free trade area pact. Egging them on to do more business will be Stephen Fleming, the Kiwi cricket icon who is the coach for the IPL-winning Chennai Super Kings.

Tags: india, sports diplomacy, bollywood, trade diplomacy, new zealand, cricket

‘Soft power’ is our motto, says new foreign minister

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Orabi said Egypt would adopt the principle of "soft power" in its foreign policy, taking into account the social, economic and cultural dimensions of relationships. The minister also said the foreign policy would be in complete harmony with the 25 January revolution, adding that it aims to retain Egypt’s leading regional and international roles.

Tags: arab spring, egypt, arab revolutions, foreign ministers

US moving to ‘smart power’ diplomacy

Under the new diplomacy, we feel talking with governments is not enough, and want to build contacts at people, business and NGO levels. Increasingly, this is how foreign policy will be conducted. In fact, the US is most enthusiastic about what we call ‘smart power,’ as opposed to hard power (using force) or soft power (the traditional non-military stuff).

Tags: united states, government pd, foreign policy, smart power, non-governmental organizations, global partnership initiative

Canada needs to engage it citizens living abroad

Ottawa should appoint a parliamentary secretary to oversee an office dedicated to engaging with these Canadian citizens, who live [abroad].Through outreach and public diplomacy, this office could foster greater business, educational and cultural ties with Canadians who live abroad.

Tags: government pd, canada, diaspora

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