A petite blond Midwesterner, who is not Chinese and only began studying the language five years ago, became an iconic translator of American slang for pop-culture-hungry Chinese fans. The popularity of the show, called “OMG! Meiyu” and produced by Voice of America, has not escaped the notice of the agency’s executives, who recognize that hip and eccentric programming is vital to connecting with youths.

The Chinese martial artist-turned-movie star is starting a taichi school...Mr. Li said he wants it to one day be as cool to practice taichi as it is to watch American movies. The actor’s new venture could indeed give a boost to China’s efforts to export its culture, which have involved investments in the billions of dollars but have been criticized as unimaginative.

Seeking to put more of its own spin on global affairs and provide counterspin to offest coverage generated by CNN, the Voice of America and other U.S .public diplomacy outlets, official Chinese media is expanding its footprint in the southern hemisphere.The expanded coverage is an example of how China shape-shifts content delivery to support its global policy initiatives on a broad spectrum of issues.

Monica Pokorny of Polson was one of 10 young professionals to spend three weeks in China in June as part of a public diplomacy exchange focused on global environmental issues.

On October 1, 2011, Voice of America’s (VOA) Chinese radio service will go silent, as U.S. international broadcasting abandons the airwaves and moves to the Internet. In the burgeoning age of new media, many...seem to be questioning the continued relevance of shortwave radio.

Despite China’s considerable economic influence, however, China has largely been unable to project its soft power into the region, as it has been unable to do in many areas of the world – if indeed it wants to.

What if Washington had concluded that this competition required not more military might, but more and smarter investment in education, innovation, energy and the environment, and the full unfolding of America's soft power?

The 24-year-old host of "OMG Meiyu," a trendy, cross cultural English teaching feature produced by Voice of America’s Mandarin Service, has become an overnight sensation in China...More than 2-million people have now clicked on Jessica Beinecke’s quirky videos, which teach Chinese speakers about common English expressions used by young Americans.