A Tibetan cultural exchange group is wrapping up a trip to Russia, arranged by the Chinese State Council. During their stay, the group met with the head of Russia's parliamentary committee for Public and Religious Organization, and scholars from institutes including the Russian Academy of Sciences and Tuvan State University.

While changing sheets and scrubbing bathtubs, walking to Taco John’s, shopping at Walmart or taking trips to Omaha or Denver — even attending a rodeo — these grassroots ambassadors are experiencing slices of American culture and improving their English-language skills.

Soft Power as opposed to Hard Power is not at all new to the developing world. The concept of Non-alignment, for example, is a manifestation of this species of power which, essentially, is an expression of a country’s or a group of countries’ humanistic values as opposed to their military or coercive capability. Accordingly, Soft Power has its origins in spirituality and religion and pertains to those qualities of heart and mind which play a key role in fostering world solidarity.

Two Chinese influential government-backed institutions have teamed up with an Indian media group to set up a multi-disciplined body in China to promote trade, research and people-to-people contacts. [...] This will be to collaborate in stimulating high-powered business activity, research and people-to-people contacts at decision-making levels in both private and public sectors, promote research in trade and culture as well as organize seminars and publish academic papers. 

With hosting and qualifying for the World Cup finals listed as long-term goals, the authorities plan to substantially increase the number of young people playing football, with the number of special “soccer schools” raised to 20,000 after five years and to 50,000 in a decade.

The Ambassador to Germany is a career diplomat who has had vast experience of representing the country in various countries of the world; including China. He is considered an authority on Chinese soft power and its role in the emergence of that economy as a global superpower.