Two Chinese giant pandas have arrived in South Korea from their previous home in Sichuan Province, China. [...] China has been sending their pandas abroad as a sign of goodwill since the 1950s as part of what’s known as ‘panda diplomacy’. 

While domestically it defines the debate between Apple and the FBI, we should not minimize its relevance, and consequently the outcome of the court battle, on American soft power. Sinologist David Shambaugh does a side-by-side comparison between the United States and China in his book China Goes Global: The Partial Power. 

Keen to strengthen relations with Africa, China will over the next three years train at least 200,000 African professionals in skills-based fields. Ambassador Lin Songtian [...] revealed on Tuesday that the offer was part of the Asian power's commitment to build the continent's capacity to achieve its development vision. 

Leading Chinese performing artists who included opera singers, acrobats, dancers and instrumentalists on Sunday entertained a mammoth crowd in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. [...] In his opening remarks, Liu said the music concert was part of a series of activities that have been lined up to promote Sino-Kenya cultural cooperation.

The 21st Francophonie Festival is going to launch in more than 200 cities across China in March. A variety of cultural events featuring French music, films, literature, sports, gastronomy and art will show the French language and culture.

Xi Jinping is the gift that keeps on giving.[...] This past week, the government released two policies (or re-released depending on your perspective): first, no foreign entity can independently publish anything online in China, and second, all the work of the Party’s media must protect and act on behalf of the Party.