In a bid to use the arts and culture effectively in global diplomatic roles, Nigeria is planning to set up cultural centres in such countries as U.S.A., China and Brazil.

Tetsuya Watanabe, the official in charge of the Cool Japan section at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, could not hide his shock at the strides being made by South Korea.

This year's festival aims to cross lines -- lines between globe and region, culture and industry, creativity and daily life, government and society, and various other categories of culture and creativity... Institutions from 11 countries have participated in the festival...

While U.S. public diplomacy since September 11, 2001, has focused on countering terrorism and the radicalization of the Muslim world, a job increasingly supervised by the Pentagon, China has been moving ahead methodically with its own ambitious global agenda.

The University of Dubai (UD), a prestigious university in the UAE established by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, signed an agreement with Confucius Institute Headquarters of China to establish the Confucius Institute at UD. The accord aims to strengthen educational cooperation between China and United Arab Emirates, support and promote the development of Chinese language education and increase mutual understanding between China and UAE.

More recently, Taiwan is trying to expand on its reputation and gastro-brand through an initiative to promote Taiwan through enhanced culinary diplomacy.Gastrodiplomacy is predicated on the notion that the easiest path to winning hearts and minds is found through stomachs.

Over 40 million people are learning the Chinese language and interest keeps growing as Beijing’s international influence expands world wide according to Xu Lin, Director of the Institute to promote the language overseas and head of the Confucius Institute.

What happened to China's much vaunted "soft power" and "good neighborly" diplomacy about which we have heard so much in recent years? China's supposed "soft power," always overstated, has passed from the scene in short order.