Surprisingly, some of these leaders, particularly in Russia and China, have been wielding a sophisticated and deceptive soft power beyond their borders that is proving more enduring and effective than in the past. Their tactics are asymmetrical and subversive, using deception and disinformation, not easily confronted.

Australians think China already dominates Asia – more than the Chinese even believe it themselves. [...] It's all in a sobering set of survey results that point to the success of Chinese soft power diplomacy here in Australia, according to Simon Jackman, chief executive of Sydney University's US Studies Centre, which carried out the survey.

Several miles away, a flashier Pyongyang A Ri Rang Restaurant on soi (alley) 26 of Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road also offers food, but with the added fun of karaoke, a live floor show and tours of North Korea.

Every Sunday afternoon, rain or shine, a group of people gathers at a park in Tokyo’s bustling Ikebukuro district, where Japanese people studying Chinese and Chinese living in Japan can engage in lively conversation.

Soft power has become strategically important for China and is regarded an important component of its “comprehensive national power” , a measure of its own national power.

In an interview to IANS, Zhao Qizheng, Vice-Chairman of Foreign Affairs of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said Chinese businessmen were “not clear” about rules and business environment in India. [...] Zhao maintained that “public diplomacy” could help both sides understand the issues related to doing business in each other’s countries.

When the Chinese government donated a library to the University of Technology Sydney few people noticed. Only slightly more seemed to care when groups friendly to Beijing began funding think tanks in Australia, making political donations and paying primary schools to run Chinese language programs.