As Secretary Hillary Clinton stated last week, U.S.-China relations are now at “a critical juncture.” Public diplomacy plays a crucial role in steering this vital relationship in a positive direction.

Wang Yi, minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Tuesday the mainland and Taiwan should seize the opportunity to set up a systematic mechanism for cultural and educational exchanges.

Today, the first lady Michelle Obama will speak about the initiative to increase the number of American students studying abroad in China. It is specifically designed to train students and the next generation of professionals on how to orchestrate and communicate in U.S.-China relations in the future decades.

As President Obama welcomes Chinese president Hu Jintao for a state visit, Americans should get ready for a Chinese ad blitz on TV. The spots -- with images of ordinary Chinese citizens juxtaposed with celebrities like the NBA's Yao Ming -- are aimed at improving China's image in the U.S. Will it work? Marketplace's Scott Tong takes a look.

Featuring 61 languages, CIBN will be a convergence of a website, online broadcaster, network television and mobile service terminal. It's set to become a new state-level broadcasting organization that caters to audiences from all over the world, thanks to the rapid development of the Internet and mobile communication technology.

When Barack Obama became US president, one of his top foreign policy priorities was to improve relations with China. Yet on the eve of President Hu Jintao's state visit to Washington, US-China relations are worse, rather than better.

China has unveiled a 60-second promotional video on the huge screens in New York City's Times Square to coincide with President Hu Jintao's US visit this week -- a flashy bit of soft diplomacy.

Shi Anbin, deputy dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, and Zheng Yannong, deputy director of China International Public Relations Association, talk with the Guangzhou Daily about how China should enact a public relations (PR) strategy to enhance its image in the world.