A Chinese navy hospital ship...sailed on Friday into Havana Bay in Cuba, reflecting good relations between the communist allies...Military experts and China watchers say the ship is one of the ways in which the Asian giant is increasing its use of "soft power" to burnish its image...

Nation branding is an increasingly important and influential field of theory and practice which attempts to measure a country's reputation and provide guidance on a country's image management around the world.

The 21st century is often hailed as China's century...Enhancing public diplomacy and pursuing a more considerate foreign policy in the region can improve American perceptions on China and result in significant long-term returns that better ensure the prosperity of both nations.

To fill the vacuum, China and lately India were only eager to replace the U.S. as the main partner of Africa. And instead of their American counterparts and competitors, the method used by the two emerging powers was that of “soft power” rather than blunt military pressure.

What does it mean that China's has become a global force? And more importantly, how have they actually accomplished that?
The quick answer? Through business dealings rather than military alliances, and a superb infographic from the Heritage Foundation offers a rarely seen snapshot of that.

With cultural diplomacy, the idea is to bring people together on an international scale in a more socio-cultural context, rather than on a diplomatic basis.

For much of the past decade, "soft power" has been touted as a means for making foreign policy more effective by emphasizing enticement rather than coercion, conversation rather than conflict.

CHINA's ruling Communist Party has vowed to increase its "cultural soft power" as it launches itself into the final stage of a power struggle from which a decade of leaders will emerge next October.