In Beijing, the country’s leadership was recognizing the importance of soft power. Meanwhile in Hollywood, DreamWorks was given the green light to a movie called Kung Fu Panda. I would love to tell you that we did this as part of a very shrewd strategy to gain entrée into China. It wasn’t. We just liked the idea of a film about a panda who wants to do kung fu.

Taipei, June 10 (CNA) One of the driving forces behind the increased number of exhibitions and cultural activities organized by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) over the past three years in Taiwan will soon be leaving the country for a new assignment. Sheila Paskman, who took up the post as the AIT's public diplomacy section chief in July 2010, is coming to the end of her three-year term in Taiwan and recently looked back at her efforts to promote cultural links between the United States and Taiwan.

The United Arab Emirates is participating in this year’s Venice Biennale, which kicked off earlier this month with a solo exhibition Walking on Water by contemporary Emirati artist Mohamed Kazem. Curated by Palestinian Reem Fadda, the UAE's third consecutive national pavilion introduces the Venice Biennale audience to home-grown art from the country.

The implementation of the Public Diplomacy Mission is assisted by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. During six days about 40 events are intended to be hild in Yerevan, Gyumri, Tsakhadzor, Tatev, and Etchmaidzin.

Rawalpindi Arts Council in collaboration with Saraiki Students Federation, Federal Urdu University, Islamabad organized a Saraiki Cultural Program featuring the promotion and introduction of regional cultural with each other. Waqar Ahmed, Resident Director from Rawalpindi Arts Council and Ahmed Ali Dhareshak from federation were the guests of honor at the ceremony.

Describing cultural appreciation as the key to lasting relations between nations, an eminent Pakistani scholar has called for initiatives in various fields of arts to help Pakistanis and Americans better understand each other. Dr. Zulfiqar Kazmi told a gathering on the Capitol Hill that the best way to promote friendly and cooperative relationship between the United States and Pakistan would be to build bridges through encouragement of more and more cultural exchange programs.

Online games featuring Chinese culture have become an important force for cultural exchange and cooperation as it spread through global markets, head of a leading Chinese online game maker told Xinhua. "We insist on creating game products of pure national originality, and take the online game industry as a new cultural carrier and a new cultural communication, " said Perfect World CEO Xiao Hong, who was attending a conference of Chinese and Mexican entrepreneurs here.