As part of the introduction to our ongoing culture series on Chinese soft power and Confucius Institutes, I’ve already touched on the fact that there’s actually very little connection between the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius and Confucius Institutes, (although from a branding perspective, the name seems to be working well on various levels).

Chinese foreign policy has not escaped the dramatic transformations in that key country in our region. The foreign policy of China has become more sophisticated and less dogmatic, characterized by its increasing reliance on soft power.

Following a year marked by a number of diplomatic strains with its neighbours, China will look to boost its public diplomacy initiatives in coming months to address concerns about its rise, officials said this week.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ms Hina Rabbani Khar on Thursday said Pakistan considers relations with China of utmost importance and appreciates its support for economic development.

Sports have often been a bridge between cultures. Even when politicians have tried to use sports for propaganda purposes, the spirit of sports has often overcome political problems. The 1936 Olympics come to mind. Hitler’s “master race” blew up in his face because of Jesse Owens.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech on Internet freedom on February 15 has been criticized by the Chinese media as hypocritical. However, I think it should be seen as a wake-up call for Chinese policymakers to prepare a Web-based public diplomacy with the US.

On numerous levels, the United States continues to fall farther behind China in public diplomacy. This is yet another indication that for all its protestations about its commitment to reach out to foreign publics, the U.S. government is unwilling to commit the resources needed to do so effectively.

China will pay NSW [New South Wales] schools more than $200,000 to promote its language and culture in a move hailed by second-language advocates but seen by others as part of a Chinese "soft power" offensive.