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.

"Venezuela has a lot to offer in terms of art and culture. We have already opened a cultural centre in New Delhi. ICMEI is going to be the extension of our efforts. All are invited to be a part of these two centres at Noida and Delhi. We have grown much bigger in one day," said the Ambassador, appreciating the large network of 162 countries of ICMEI.

How can a million people be made to feel welcome as our guests? How can Palmyra be saved? How should the world see Germany? The right approach to cultural policy can give answers, says DW's Gero Schliess.

Art fans in Ho Chi Minh City should be pleased as four art exhibitions are taking place there, featuring artistic pieces of vivid hues and shades that convey different messages. Of these, 17 artists are showcasing 80 artworks in an art exhibition lasting between Saturday and June 12 at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in District 1.

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.

“When MasterChef kicked off here in India, there were some ­racial issues with people getting beaten up, taxi drivers and all the rest of it,” Mehigan said while signing plates. [...] when MasterChef started, it all turned around. It’s what embassy people call “soft diplomacy”...

Arnaud, who also long has been involved with the Alliance Francaise de Charleston, said putting this mural at the airport links French history and culture with that of Charleston. “It’s a good thing happening for history, tourism and diplomacy,” she said.

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.