Artists of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) performed here Sunday an adapted Chinese opera masterpiece to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the entry of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) into the Korean front.

Despite no-expenses-spared efforts to boost its soft power, such as the Shanghai Expo and plans to open a Xinhua news agency office atop a skyscraper in New York’s Times Square, China’s image has taken a beating in recent months...

The U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on Thursday spoke out against intolerance toward religious groups such as Falun Gong and the Baha'is, remarks that irritated China.

Despite no-expenses-spared efforts to boost its soft power, such as the Shanghai Expo and plans to open a Xinhua news agency office atop a skyscraper in New York's Times Square, China's image has taken a beating in recent months, what with its tough talk to the United States and Japan, its defence of North Korea and, now, its attacks on the Norwegian Nobel Committee for honouring imprisoned dissident Liu Xiaobo.

In July last year, President Hu Jintao said public diplomacy would be a key focus of China's foreign affairs policy; his administration elevated the new form of diplomacy to a national strategic level. Soon after that, the country launched a "Made in China" advertising campaign in several international media outlets to boost the image of Chinese-made products.

When the Nobel committee selected Liu Xiaobo as the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, the distinction brought unwanted attention to China. For obvious reasons, Beijing did not want the world honoring a man who has dedicated decades to challenging the country's political system. But Beijing, in fact, seems uncomfortable with any kind of attention.

With ample liquidity and sufficient expertise in the construction sector, Chinese companies – especially state-owned enterprises – are keen not only to satisfy African countries' need for development, but also to exercise China's 'soft power' on the world stage.

In the realm of international broadcasting, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) serves as the “voice of Taiwan.” The station is an amalgamation of the “Voice of Free China” service that served as the Republic of China on Taiwan’s international broadcasting arm plus the Central Broadcasting System, which for years broadcast to mainland China.