With 523 Confucius Institutes around the world and 4359 titles in English on the life and teachings of the great seer on the Amazon database alone, Confucius is one of China's biggest exports to the world.

The China Institute for International Communication Strategy (CIICS),co-sponsored by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) and the Communication University of China (CUC), is dedicated to research in public diplomacy, promotion of culture, art, media relations and other related fields, according to its press release.

The party's fear of general "instability" is perhaps matched only by the disdain it holds for the airing of dirty laundry. This is in part informed by a cultural psychology at the micro level that manifests in macro political behavior: The ugly stuff and internal bickering get sorted out in the privacy of an inner sanctum, while for the appearance of outsiders, all is well and please don't poke around.

Needless to say, the tone and direction of branding a nation emanates from its top executive or CEO. This is the individual who by being the President, King or Prime Minister of a country carries on his shoulders the unique and challenging responsibility of inspiring citizens towards positivism

Will the weakening of ASEAN encourage some members to move closer to the U.S.? And will China and the U.S. intensify their "soft power" struggle for the hearts and minds of Southeast Asians?

Wang Jiarui, minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, stressed the importance of public diplomacy in China's overall diplomatic undertakings, adding that public diplomacy can help increase mutual trust and clarify misunderstandings between China and other countries.

Since the beginning of the year palpable change is in the air. It is readily apparent to me that a critical mass has been reached and that China's long-time inability to master the art of soft power and cultural diplomacy is finally changing. The few popular long-time staples of Chinese cultural diplomacy like kung fu fighters and acrobats, together with a few memorable highbrow museum shows, now have more and more company.

Public diplomacy can be implemented as a cluster of measures that are more productive than the confrontational steps such as “checkbook diplomacy,” in which Taipei and Beijing competed for formal diplomatic partners.