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.

The China Factor

While media attention typically focuses on the hard power role of the US military in the Pacific, the US Navy also invests significant time and energy in the soft power potential of humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in the region

Tags: china, united states, soft power, government pd, military, humanitarian aid

Canadian youth ballet troupe China-bound

In the downtown theater, the Goh Ballet Youth Academy was debuting its latest production, Lamour, a three-act ballet that the troupe will be taking to China in late August and September for a series of shows to promote friendship and cultural exchange between the two countries.

Tags: china, cultural exchange, canada, dance, friendship

Pope Benedict: Backs Croatia’s EU bid on Zagreb visit

Pope Benedict XVI has given his strong backing to Croatia's bid to join the EU, on his first visit to the nation. He said he understood fears of a loss of cultural identity from joining the bloc but said Europe needs to be reminded of its Christian roots.

Tags: faith diplomacy, europe, european union, pope benedict xvi, croatia

Li Na: The Face of Chinese Soft Power

It would be a shame if Beijing's mandarins cannot comprehend how Li is an exponentially better exemplar of Chinese soft power than the botched Times Square ads and similar awkward attempts. Her individualistic persona and sense of humor win over international audiences to a degree that the perpetually-wooden Hu Jintao never can.

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Theories of Influence

I’ve been thinking about the range of theories of influence at work in the Public Diplomacy field so I was interested to see that Organizational Research Services, a Washington state evaluation consultancy, have put out a briefing note Pathways to Change...

Tags: united states, soft power, government pd, international relations, communications

A Darkness Falls on Taiwan’s Night Markets

With health authorities in mainland China fighting a war on food safety violators, a food scandal across the Taiwan Strait has claimed an iconic victim: the night market. Among the many contentious markers of “true” Taiwanese-ness, a fondness for night markets is that rare characteristic that unifies nearly all the island’s residents.

Tags: china, Cultural Diplomacy, taiwan, gastrodiplomacy

Pacific Partnership Series

While media attention typically focuses on the hard power role of the US military in the Pacific, the US Navy also invests significant time and energy in the soft power potential of humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in the region.

Tags: united states, soft power, government pd, pacific, us military, pacific islands

Serbia’s EU candidacy possible in December

Serbia's road to the EU has cleared significantly, though there are still many kilometres to go... This dealing with the past at a judicial level occurs in parallel, as witnessed in other historical precedents, with the longer-term work of society with itself.

Tags: soft power, europe, european union, serbia, eu enlargement

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