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.

Russia’s reputation on the world stage may be at an unfair disadvantage

In my opinion, Russia is relatively on a par with its major geopolitical rivals, as far as "hard power" is concerned: we have the military, resources and economic power. As for "soft power", unfortunately, I believe this parity has been significantly impaired. Sadly, Russia’s reputation and image in the world is much worse than the real situation in the country.

Tags: soft power, russia, image, international opinion, reputation, geopolitics

India is wherever you are

The purpose of the video contest was for the world to tell the story of India's soft power, as they saw it. The video challenge aimed to allow individuals from different cultures and backgrounds to express their creativity, understanding and display their artistic prowess on subjects that really define our nation.

Tags: soft power, Cultural Diplomacy, india, artists, contest

PLA diplomacy push aimed at easing neighbours’ concerns

Even as Defence Minister Liang Guanglie is in India on a five-day visit this week to boost ties, the departure of another top People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General to Southeast Asia has been seen by analysts here as reflecting a new diplomatic push by the Chinese military to address regional concerns.

Tags: china, government pd, public diplomacy, hard power, military diplomacy

Celebrity chefs to serve as actual diplomatic corps for US State Department

The wide-ranging effort creates an American Chef Corps, a network of culinary leaders who could be deployed to promote U.S. cooking and agricultural products abroad. “They might meet with an embassy, cook a lunch, post blogs or [write] articles, speak at events,” says [U.S. Chief of Protocol Capricia Penavic] Marshall, listing the many ways participants might engage.

Tags: Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, non-state actors, us department of state

Chinese culture invades Bellefonte Art Museum

“Symbolic Meanings: Calligraphy and Paintings by Calligrapher Liang Hong” and “Cross- Cultural Communication with Ethnic Groups Costumes from China” are shows sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Penn State and presented by the Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County.

Tags: china, united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, confucius institutes, confucius institutes project

The smart power of books in building bilateral relations

“The best way to advance America's interests in reducing global threats and seizing global opportunities is to design and implement global solutions. ...We must use what has been called ‘smart power,’ the full range of tools at our disposal -- diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural -- picking the right tool or combination of tools for each situation."

Tags: soft power, public diplomacy, africa, smart power, zimbabwe

The rise of China’s political soft power

As China plays an increasingly significant role in the world, its soft power must be attractive both domestically as well as internationally...The Western model has not been able to decisively address these issues; the China model therefore brings hope that we can make progress in conquering these dilemmas.

Tags: china, soft power, public diplomacy, china model

Soft power can make us a global leader: Tharoor

India's soft power remains its biggest strength in being a global leader but strict visa rules has dented the country's image abroad, writes former Union minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor in his new book. "Today's India truly enjoys soft power, and that may well be the most valuable way in which it can offer leadership to the twenty-first-century world."

Tags: soft power, public diplomacy, india, south asia

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