[W]hen Mr. Zhao, a Chinese tourist, arrived with his wife in September, they spent their first day wandering the humdrum suburban office parks that Facebook and Google call home. Joining a guided bus tour with a dozen other Chinese visitors, the two became part of the steady flow of Chinese tourists to Silicon Valley that represents — despite pervasive censorship and outright hostility from the Chinese government — the tremendous influence Silicon Valley wields in China.

Beijing today lodged a formal protest with the U.S. because President-elect Donald Trump, bypassing established diplomatic channels, spoke to Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen yesterday by telephone. [...] “During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties exists between Taiwan and the United States,” notes the readout of the Trump transition team of the historic conversation. 

“I think what’s interesting is that it helped contribute to US citizens thinking positively about the cuisines of China,” said Johanna Mendelson Forman, an adjunct professor and researcher of gastrodiplomacy at American University. “In recent years, Chinese regional foods and food waves have become a great interest in Chinese cultural diplomacy.”

The English Premier League recently signed its biggest deal outside of the U.K. Chinese electronics giant Suning has stumped up £560m for the television rights to broadcast its games to the growing legion of fans there. But it’s not just the size of the agreement that’s eye-catching. It’s a double display of soft power at work: by both China and the U.K.

Chinese media company StarTimes on Wednesday launched a satellite digital television project in Kenya as part of its long-term agenda to bridge rural-urban information gap in the East African nation. According to StarTimes, the southwestern Kenyan county of Kajiado will pilot the project that has given over 120 households in Saina Village free access to the StarTimes digital television service. 

Do Chinese people like to laugh?  Well stand-up comedy in general is a new idea to Chinese culture and expat English language comedy in China is an even bigger novelty given that the Beijing circuit is still in its infancy at around four years old. Currently the scene has two English language stand-up clubs, which hold a combination of three weekly open mics at various bars throughout the city. 

Hockey, the sport that periodically pauses play to allow players to fight, is now helping foster diplomatic and business relations between Canada and China. In its preparations to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, China has asked for Canada’s assistance to help strengthen the country’s hockey culture and its hockey capabilities.

CineAsia is upon us already, the last major cinema conference of the year and a time to take stock. This show has taken on new significance in recent years as it highlights the growth of Asia as a film market and the increasing importance of the region to global cinema. The Asia-Pacific region will account for 40.4% of global box office in 2016.