A new Confucius Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine — the first of its kind established with the cooperation of a foreign medical institute — is expected to open in September, said Gao Sihua, president of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

The Chinese government has set up more than three hundred Confucius Institutes in 100 countries as part of a new push to boost its soft power. The centres are usually set up as a joint initiative among a host foreign university, a Chinese partner university and the Hanban, which runs the programme.

With tension mounting over a confusing visa directive concerning Chinese language teachers in the US, the two sides had quickly reached out for dialogue and successfully found a solution within a couple of days to avoid any further misunderstanding. On May 17, without consulting the Chinese side, Lerner signed a controversial visa policy directive and sent it to US universities that sponsor Confucius Institutes, through which the Chinese government promotes Chinese language and culture overseas.

During the 20 years since the demise of the Soviet Union, and after a unipolar moment for the United States, China has emerged as the newest superpower. All its predecessors at this exalted level, going back even before Rome, have established their positions by amassing formidable military strength. But China is going about matters differently.

Amid an uproar in China over the planned American move to send home dozens of Chinese teachers, the US has withdrawn its "sloppy and incomplete" order directing 80 Confucius Institutes teaching Mandarin to seek reaccreditations.

Though not specifically indicated, it is not hard to draw an analogy between Beijing’s 100-day campaign in the capital to crack down on “illegal” foreign employers who are working on the wrong visas and Washington’s new policy directive on the regulation of visas held by Chinese teachers at Confucius Institutes.

...China has rediscovered its ancient culture and traditions. Confucius enjoys a remarkable renaissance. All ar­ound the world, China has established Confucius Institutes that spread knowledge about China’s culture and its language. Soft power is not an esoteric asset. It helps a country gain respect and friends in the world at large. And, this can be of great importance, particularly in turbulent times.

The priciest public-relations expenditure was the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which by some estimates cost $40 billion. The country has financed roads in Brazil, bridges in Zambia, power grids in Cambodia and mining rigs in Uzbekistan. It established Confucius Institutes for Chinese language and culture on 75 US college campuses. It started CCTV America to raise its profile.