Designed to attract more visitors to sights, and sites, along the ancient Silk Road which linked China to the countries of Central Asia - and to Rome from about 100 BC - it is particularly hoped to draw more people to China's western provinces.

Anyone who has followed international affairs closely knows that one distinctive flaw in U.S. cultural diplomacy is our public welcome pavilions at major world events, including the Olympics and the World Cup. (...) After experiencing this first-hand Maxine Turner, President of the U.S. Welcome Pavilion, stepped in to create a space where U.S. culture and business can come together to reach a global public. We spoke with her about her plans for the inaugural U.S. Welcome Pavilion at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Miami Chef Douglas Rodriguez is known as the "Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine" for the pan-Latin American style of cooking he helped pioneer. But, as the son of Cuban immigrants, his early cooking education was firmly rooted in the traditions of his parents' homeland.

To many Americans, globalization may mean Americanization but, in China, globalization is Koreanization. This is the impact of Hallyu (the Korean word for “Korean wave”), which began in 1997. Hallyu began with Korean television dramas and today extends throughout Chinese life: k-drama, k-pop, movies, fashion, food, and beauty.  It is argued to be the only example of a cultural power “that threatens the dominance of American culture.”

Clooney found his match in a woman of high intelligence, cosmopolitan elan and Muslim heritage. Hmmm. President Clooney. First Lady Amal. American soft power at its best.