The overwhelming impression given by the bulk of historical scholarship on pre-modern China’s foreign relations, as well as by official dynastic histories, is that generally the Chinese empire sustained its regional pre-eminence through civilisational and economic ‘soft power’ while adopting a defensive military posture and conservative grand strategy.

The original Silk Road, established more than 2,000 years ago, was a critical network of trade routes that promoted economic, political, and cultural exchange among Asia, Africa, and Europe. China’s new “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “Twenty-First Century Maritime Silk Road” will do the same, with newly built or upgraded infrastructure facilitating the flow of trade, investment, culture, and ideas — and thus supporting shared economic growth.

Pope Francis in his first-ever interview on China has sent greetings to president Xi Jinping and the people of China. The interview was given to the online daily Asia Times, Hong Kong. [...] The leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics talked about his admiration for the country and avoided sensitive issues like human rights. Pope Francis emphasized on the common interest of China and Vatican and creating an environment for better relationship

Seeking “soft power,” in the Arab world, China is setting up some educational collaborations to invest in the Arab world’s scientific and technical workforce. These aims were outlined in what is being called the Chinese government’s first Arab policy paper, published earlier this month.  

Vice chairperson of the Chinese Association, Maureen Lok Fat said they decided to hold celebrations on Saturday days ahead of the Lunar New Year to allow as many people as possible to attend. The 2016 Chinese Lunar New Year falls on February 8. [...] It’s generally agreed that such events unite the Chinese community and help promote understanding among different people with different cultures.

South Korea has proudly touted the international success of its music industry. There is even a term coined to describe the popularity of Korean pop culture abroad – Hallyu, or “Korean Wave.” In recent years, Korean entertainment companies have tried to build on this success with localization techniques [...] But when pop stars cross borders, they’re bound to run into some sensitivities.