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.
Top Chinese Official Secretly Visited Japan for Senkaku Talks
A top Chinese official secretly visited Japan earlier this month to hold talks with senior Japanese counterparts over how best to address simmering tensions over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, Chinese government sources said Tuesday.
Chinese Public Diplomacy: Winning Hearts and Minds Abroad or at Home?
The increased tempo of Beijing’s public diplomacy activities in recent years, from Confucius Institutes to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, have received poor to mediocre reviews internationally. Expensive projects have been received positively by the Chinese public, but have done little to reverse China’s continued international image problems. Although a narrative of crisis pervades international scholarship on Chinese public diplomacy, there appears little evidence to suggest that Beijing is concerned.
Oktoberfest in Iraq Was Super Fun
The last six months have seen Iraq become Syria-lite. Jihadists move across the porous Iraq-Syrian border with impunity, fueling the sectarian violence. Al-Jazeera reported that Iraq has suffered more than 5,000 deaths this year alone. The Kurdish north, long considered the success story of Iraq, has not been spared. On September 29, a coordinated attack of car bombs and gunfire hit Erbil, the capital of the autonomous region.
History and Culture Not Enough to Drive China’s Soft Power Efforts
Some commentators have criticized China's State-led efforts to strengthen the country's "soft power." Joseph Nye, to whom the soft power concept is credited, observed that the China just "doesn't get soft power." Big state-funded initiatives, such as the global roll-out of Confucius Institutes and investments in CCTV and Xinhua, have headlined China's culture-heavy public relations drive.
‘Hiplomacy’: Iraq’s New Generation of Hip Hop Activists
On Friday, October 18 at American University, the Public & Cultural Diplomacy Forum will be hosting a performance from First Step Iraq, a group of dancers and rappers from Baghdad, Basra, Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, as part of their “Hiplomacy” tour this Fall. The Iraqi artists will present a show that reflects their daily struggle to practice their craft and showcase their talent in the often hostile environment of their home country. The performance will be followed by a Q+A session on this innovative cultural diplomacy program.
Four Good Reasons Why Iran Doesn’t Trust America
One basic obstacle for the new round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program that open today will be America’s basic distrust of the Iranian regime. Before striking any deal with Tehran, the Obama Administration will have to gauge whether a country where hostility toward the U.S. has been a core political theme since 1979 is acting in good faith.
Australia’s Countdown to Free Trade
After declaring the nation “open for business,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has set a target of achieving free trade deals with China, Japan and South Korea within just 12 months. Can the recently elected leader succeed where his predecessors failed? Having stated at the APEC summit in Bali that he wished to swiftly conclude eight years of negotiations with China, Abbott told reporters at last week’s East Asian Summit in Brunei that he was adding the nation’s second and third-biggest trading partners to the target list.
Uncertainty Over the Future of Peace Talks Increases
On October 13th the administration of the president, Juan Manuel Santos, and the leftist guerrillas of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) finalised a new round of negotiations in Cuba amid growing uncertainty over the future of the peace process.
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