Beijing sees the Confucius Institutes as a way to promote its own soft power overseas, similar to the British Council or Germany’s Goethe-Institut.  Yet recently, criticism has come hard and fast. 

Experts from Korea and Spain exchanged ideas to facilitate bilateral relations in the areas of regional branding, culture and smart cities at the Marriot Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday.

China’s effort to project soft-power has suffered another serious setback after a second US university in a week announced it would close its on-campus Confucius Institute because of an apparent disagreement over Chinese government controls.

The wonderfully named Thai Delicious Committee, a Thai-government-sponsored agency, has developed a machine that can supposedly distinguish genuine green curry from inferior imitations of the country’s classic dish. The existence of an officially sanctioned Thai green curry recipe, not to mention a machine programmed to robotically taste it, is but one example of Thailand’s ongoing efforts in culinary diplomacy.

Peking University has formed a research center dedicated to national "soft power," aiming to help the government spread Chinese culture and values abroad.  "Cultural soft power is beginning to offer strong support for the rise of China. The country must enhance its cultural strength in order to dominate the global contest for soft power."

Ministry of Culture has held a dinner banquet in honor of the outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Bahrain, Hijki Sumi, in appreciation of his huge role in strengthening cultural relations between the two countries, in the presence of a number of diplomats and representatives of the cultural sector in Bahrain.