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.
US zeroes in on China’s clout in Myanmar
A high-level American delegation will travel to Myanmar in coming weeks on a fact-finding mission as part of the United States' new engagement policy with the military ruled country. The talks will center on improving Myanmar's human-rights situation and its claimed intention to move towards democracy, but the subtext will be improving diplomatic relations and fostering influence in a country widely viewed as a key regional ally of China .
US to counter propaganda in Pakistan: Hillary
The United States will forcefully counter what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls ‘propaganda and misinformation’ being spread against various US actions vis-a-vis Pakistan, including the Kerry-Lugar aid bill. ‘We have adopted a new approach, which is, we do not leave any misstatement or inaccuracy unanswered’, she said when questioned about how Washington planned to counter the growing anti-US sentiments in Pakistan.
Donors and cronies still get the choice postings
Just after the election in November, we wrote that an Obama administration was likely to eschew "the traditional sale of most ambassadorships, so aptly carried on during the Bush administration." The chatter was that the new team would pick political types, but with some foreign policy cred -- as the Clinton administration tended to do -- and maybe reduce the percentage of politicals in favor of more career Foreign Service officers.
China and the freedom of expression
At the Frankfurt Book Fair, a green warning label can be found posted in the mainland Chinese booth in the section where books from Taiwan are displayed. “We disavow any content in these books that goes against the one-China principle,” the label reads. It is hard not to chuckle while reading these words: the warning sounds like those disclaimers found at the end of political talk shows, where the audience is informed that “the views expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect those of this station.”
Mahatma Gandhi Statue Unveiled in Seattle
A torrential Seattle winter rain failed to dampen the spirits of hundreds of people who gathered at the Bellevue Public Library Oct. 17 along with Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar and Congressman Jim McDermott to witness the unveiling of a life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi. The 1000-pound statue was a gift from the Indian government. As the signature prayer of “Raghupati Raghav” was recited, the statue was unveiled to reveal a Gandhi cast in bronze, a staff in his right hand and sandals on his feet.
State Dept Project Signals Foreign Policy Shift
Discussed around the table: the myriad changes to the development landscape now that commercial banks and investment funds are joining with private foundations and corporations to assist governments and multilateral institutions on anti-poverty programs. While development work has been trending in this direction for years, even decades, the United States’ principal instruments of foreign policy, the State Department and USAID, hadn’t kept pace.
Clinton vows US support for Pakistan’s ‘courageous’ fight
As Pakistan pushed its battle against militant stronghold in South Waziristan amid continuing retaliatory terrorist attacks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced US solidarity and support for the nation’s ‘courageous’ anti-terror fight. Speaking at US Institute of Peace, Clinton also noted that the recent terrorist attacks against government and military targets do not pose a threat to Pakistan’s nuclear command and control or access.
Battle of the Media between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Iranian television channels allege that Saudi media is "waging an anti-Iran campaign in coordination with Israel in the West," and that Saudi Arabia is an "absolutist dictatorship" with "no status whatsoever in the Islamic world." In response, Saudi papers have accused Al-Qaeda of being an "Iranian front organization," whose operations are primarily designed to benefit Iran.
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