While for the U.S. ambassador to UAE, ethnic conflict appears to largely be rooted in a cultural misunderstanding, which the diplomat has been trying to dispel by arranging culture missions to the Middle East that would counter the image of the U.S. as a global soldier, for many recipients of American and other Western cultural packages, the answer is rather cultural disrespect.

“We consider cultural exchange to be a critical part of building ties between the United States and Russia,” McFaul told the CSO musicians Tuesday night at a reception and recital at Spaso House. “As far as I’m concerned, you are the real ambassadors. You are the ones making real connections with the people in Russia.”

At a time when all countries are paying attention to the development of their soft power, the film industry is regarded as an important cultural force. A successful film can have a worldwide impact, and even shape the image of a country. With this in mind, the Chinese government has put forward the goal of "going out" for Chinese film industry.

While these fully functional trucks are used only for transporting goods in South Asia, Asheer Akram, a young American artist from Kansas City, Missouri has embarked on the project of building a Pakistani cargo truck with a Midwestern twist in the hope of mixing venerable South Asian traditions with modern American culture.

Hollywood has increasingly been looking east, encouraged by the recent relaxation of the quota on foreign films allowed into China and the popularity of Hollywood-made but China-based international blockbusters such as Kung Fu Panda 2.

"Six years ago, the two countries had decided to sign an MoU with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, but it was stuck for cultural exchange. But we want to carry the MoU forward to promote people-to-people contact. Every Pakistani heart is open... India should also open the door of its heart to Pakistani art and culture," Nasir said.

China has long kept up a barrier against foreign films — wary of insidious cultural influences while sheltering its own filmmakers. Officials last raised the annual cap on foreign movie imports as a condition of joining the WTO in 2001. The recent increased foreign movie quota is a belated response to a trade dispute the U.S. won nearly three years ago.

“I hope that through this, the first of our cultural dialogues with China, we will develop deeper ties across all the areas that interest us. China is a country with a vibrant cultural past and a growing economic future. There is much that we can learn from one another.”