Senior officials from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) begin talks in China this week to find investors in agriculture, industry and roads and other physical infrastructure. Some groups have expressed concern that increased investment will only benefit the Asian giants and African elites.

More than a platform releasing important information about top Chinese officials' state visits and providing timely contact information in case of emergencies, the microblog also shares the experiences of diplomats working abroad and lighthearted information, such as the proper table manners, with Internet users.

China and the United States are competing to win the hearts and minds of Third World nations by treating the sick on visiting hospital ships. A new study by the Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Centre says China embarked on its foray into naval medical diplomacy last year...such missions furthered China's new desire to expand its influence and lift its image as a responsible global stakeholder.

In China, where large areas are chronically short of water and electricity, the mighty rivers that flow from Tibet into South and Southeast Asia are a tempting target. But as China dams more of its rivers in more places, neighbouring nations are worried that the next step may be to divert water on a large scale instead of just using it for power.

Chinese investment is flooding into Argentina as the Asian giant expands its global commodity hunt from the raw materials used in industry to the foodstuffs needed to feed its 1.3 billion citizens. During the last three years, more than 70% of China's investment in the region went to energy and minerals, but farming is attracting more attention as the country seeks to fill its bowls from foreign fields.

But if China wants to use sport to boost its soft power, Li's win is a good place to start. That she is not in the mould of most of its athletes – her thank-yous in Paris did not include her country – works in her favour overseas. "She is right up there with [basketball's] Yao Ming in her ability to help people look at China in a different light," said Rhoads.

...a team of four international Chinese sports personalities, including Yao Ming... took part in an image branding film for China that was telecast by CNN and shown in Times Square in New York."We would like our athletes to shine, to draw more eyeballs and help us in our marketing," Lu says.

In the world of vicious US/NATO power play, China, Russia, of course, other old targets such as Cuba, DPRK, Iran, Venezuela, too, won't be left out unharmed or free from the aggressors' ongoing "soft power" strategies through so-called "Jasmine Revolutions" or any other form of "cultural indoctrinations"...