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.

Sharpening competitive edge through ‘soft power’

He Tao ...said they have already started a major campaign to turn the city into a top international gastronomic center. This, he said, accords with the national strategy of using each city's soft power, but, of course, the city got a boost after it received the UNESCO's global gastronomy label.

Tags: china, soft power, public diplomacy, tourism, gastrodiplomacy, unesco

Iran’s growing bluster spells danger

The Arab Spring has diminished Iran's ability to wield soft power in the region. Instead, the momentum has shifted to Turkey, which has not been shy about stealing pages from the Iranian playbook for appealing to the Arab street.

Tags: soft power, middle east, arab spring, iran, turkey, military, rhetoric

Nations are exploiting power of ‘weiplomacy’

The up-to-the-minute news and messages these embassies post show that the micro blog has become the medium of choice for foreign diplomatic agencies to conduct public diplomacy.

Tags: public diplomacy, visas, embassies, weibo, microblogging

Erdoğan means business

In addition, Turkey has stepped up its use of soft power by attempting to influence the political processes of nations that have recently undergone “Arab Spring” revolutions, namely Tunisia and Egypt.

Tags: soft power, middle east, arab spring, egypt, turkey, bashar al-assad

Music forms bond between US and Pak

The relationship between the US and Pakistan is back on track. Musically speaking, that is. ...a series of joint concerts here by an American jazz band and a Pakistani soft-rock group demonstrated that in nonpolitical spheres the two countries can have a productive and at times - does one dare say it? - harmonious relationship.

Tags: united states, soft power, public diplomacy, pakistan, cultural exchange, music diplomacy

Clack-ing good time in Malaysia

British Council director Peter Clack who left the country last month for a new posting, talks fondly of local food and the role he played in Malaysia’s quest to be an education hub.

Tags: public diplomacy, cultural exchange, gastrodiplomacy, education diplomacy, british council, malaysia

Tomatoes, tricks and treats

Most often, we concentrate on exchange of business, technology and know-how," says Peter Deubet, deputy director-general of the chamber of commerce. "However, we do promote cultural exchange between the two countries as well. There is more to Indo-German connections than automobiles and engineering.

Tags: india, cultural exchange, germany, globalization, festivals

Pingpong Diplomacy to be revived at Qatar tournament

Forty years after a week of table tennis exhibition matches helped restore relations between the United States and China, Ping Pong Diplomacy is making a comeback at a table tennis tournament in Qatar.

Tags: sports diplomacy, qatar, korea, peace, dialogue, ping pong diplomacy

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