Barack Obama's historic election as President of the United States in 2008 was the first time an American of African descent had ever held the United States' highest position. Because of the President's Kenyan roots, many Africans were particularly excited for what they hoped would be the start of a new era in relations between the United States and Africa.

Last month, multi-national telecommunications company Huawei renewed its sponsorship of Wellington Phoenix. It is the largest sponsorship deal in the history of New Zealand football. Though the deal is vital for the club, it is also significant for Huawei. So significant that Huawei global CEO Guo Ping made the official announcement when Prime Minister John Key was at the company's Beijing headquarters as part of his latest China visit.

Encouraging more American students to study Chinese and study abroad in China will ensure Sino-American relationship grows and flourishes in the future, U.S. educators have said. "The goal is to strengthen the overall U.S.-China relationship by ensuring very strong people-to-people ties," said Travis Tanner, vice president of 100,000-Strong Initiative Foundation, a non-profit U.S.organization that leads the Chinese language education initiative called "1 Million Strong."

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has partnered with G'Day USA to create the inaugural Emerging Innovators Xchange conference. The unique, day-long forum featured Australian and American innovators and technologies from across industries. Its goal was to increase public diplomacy and global partnership through innovation.

Bangladesh has resorted to public diplomacy in its efforts to narrow down the decades-old “gap in understanding” with its neighbour Myanmar. The relations with the new democratic Myanmar are of strategic importance, as they are the gateway to China and ASEAN economies, besides spelling a potential supply of natural gas. 

A pair of Chinese giant pandas that arrived here last month as part of a joint research project were officially unveiled to the public on April 21 at the country’s largest amusement park south of Seoul. After some 50 days of allowing the animals to get used to their new environment, Samsung Everland in Yongin, about 50 kilometers south of Seoul, held an opening ceremony for “Panda World” and showed the pandas to the public.

What was supposed to be a farewell tribute to a friend and collaborator of the government and people of Virginia Beach became a testament to the strength, dynamism and great promise of the Sister City relationship of Olongapo City and Virginia Beach.

A week before President Barack Obama’s arrival to Argentina, the visit had already appeared in the major newspapers. Everyone pondered the agenda and the meaning of the trip. It was during this time that I received an email from the U.S. Embassy notifying me that I had been selected to participate in one of the major events that Obama would attend in Argentina: a town hall meeting.