Tel Aviv University president Joseph Klafter proudly announced that Israel's only Confucius Institute is to be found at TAU. As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, in coming years we’ll see a dramatic expansion of Israel-China ties, which will in part be achieved through a decision to bring 250 Chinese students to Israel on an annual basis.

Assessing China's public diplomacy. 

Obama's new engagement policy in Asia, which promotes the use of "smart power", has received positive reaction among Asian members. On the other hand, China has increased its presence through financial aid, investment projects, cultural and social programs. What Asia does not want to see is a power contest between the two superpowers in the region.

It would be hard to conjure up a grander gesture to mark the state of relations between China and Africa than the new $200m Chinese-built headquarters of the African Union. However, it was with a mixture of bemusement and awe that delegates explored their shiny new gift, completed like so many Chinese projects on the continent in less than three years.

Several schools aiming to foster cultural understanding between U.S. and China have turned to virtual exchange programs between American and Chinese schools. Such schools received financial assistance from Hanban, a Chinese institution affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, as well as the Confucius Institute at Michigan State University.

China's top economic planning body set new targets on Monday in its effort turn the city of Shanghai into a global financial hub, including a more than doubling of trading volume in financial markets and a greater openness to derivatives such as foreign-exchange products.

After experiencing democracy and freedom of expression, Taiwanese are unlikely to settle for anything less than the open society that they have today. Serious moves toward unification will depend on the effectiveness of China’s soft-power approach, which cannot be limited only to the attractiveness of its economy if it is actually to succeed.

It is soft power that will to a large extent make or unmake superpowers of the future. China and India are the obvious candidates to be considered as the future superpowers. India will have to pit itself against the might of the Chinese economic machine.