"Will China invade its neighbors?" This is a question I tend to be bombarded with whenever I present lectures or attend talks on East Asian affairs. From Tehran to Tokyo, one can sense the growing anxiety towards China's international influence.

Tags: china, soft power, military diplomacy, south china sea, philippines

Professor Mohammed S. Dajani took 27 Palestinian college students to visit the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland a few weeks ago as part of a project designed to teach empathy and tolerance.

Tags: palestine, germany, auschwitz, exchange diplomacy, academic exchange, history, world war 2, holocaust

Yesterday saw the announcement that foreign aid has defied economic and political gravity and reached a record high of $135bn in 2013. The news came as I headed off for a fascinating discussion on reforming the aid system at the ODI.

Tags: oxfam, chatham house, aid diplomacy, foreign aid, development, donor diplomacy, non-governmental organizations, usaid, ukaid, north-south

For over a decade, the United States has promoted a free and open Internet as a central tenet of its foreign policy. To date, this has most visibly involved shaming governments that limit access to online content and developing tools that help individuals circumvent censorship and surveillance.

Tags: internet, icann, jon postel, usc, united states, u.s. department of commerce, digital diplomacy, internet governance, united nations, international telecommunication union, china, russia, censorship, national security agency

"I've got a near-torn Achilles," Henry Kissinger said outside the door of his apartment building. "Like Kobe Bryant," said Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, as she helped him into the van. "Who?" he asked as he settled into the seat for the ride to Yankee Stadium.

Tags: henry kissinger, samantha power, baseball diplomacy, sports diplomacy, baseball, sports, new york yankees, new york, united nations, united states, espn

Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (MH370) is presumed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean, “about as close to nowhere as it’s possible to be, but . . . closer to Australia than anywhere else,” according to Australian prime minister Tony Abbott. In response, Australia’s formidable humanitarian assistance and disaster relief/search and rescue (HADR/SAR) machine has sprung into action.

Tags: australia, malaysia airlines, malaysia, mh370, aid diplomacy, asia pacific, military diplomacy, disaster assistance, foreign policy, indian ocean, tony abbott, china

The United States and Canada are far more integrated than most people think. In fact, a merger between the two countries isn’t just desirable—it’s inevitable. We share more than just the world’s longest border. We share the same values, lifestyles and aspirations. Our societies and economies are becoming similar in significant ways.

Tags: united states, canada, trade diplomacy, north america, americas, history, economy, nafta, energy, first nations, u.s.-canada relations, currency union, customs union, north american idea

You probably can’t get the new Twitter profile just yet. But if you want to peak into the future, check out First Lady Michelle Obama’s profile @flotus; or super-star actor @channingtatum; or Iran’s Supreme Leader@Khamenei_ir.

Tags: twitter, social media, ayatollah ali khamenei, iran, media, digital diplomacy, michelle obama