As visitors from Taiwan and the rest of the world are discovering, however, there are more than flowers on display. The beauty of Taiwanese culture is highlighted through thousands of scheduled cultural performances, and local achievements in horticulture, science and environmental protection can also be seen.

It is crucial Taiwan promotes its cultural relevance within the global community as a means of boosting the nation’s international visibility. As part of this push, the country is planning to engage in linguistic diplomacy through the Taiwan Academies initiative.

American Muslims organized rallies that they were calling "I Am Muslim Too" to protest against the March 10 hearing in the U.S. Congress on the perceived "radicalization" of American Muslims. Among those opposed to the hearing -- which was called by congressman Peter King (Republican, New York) -- is Salman Ahmad, a Pakistani-American activist, rock star, UN goodwill ambassador, and author of the book "Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution."

This season, Mumbai’s fashion week is looking to add a little foreign flavour to the mix of designers showcasing. Joining hands with the the Japan Fashion Week (JFW), one of the shows will feature three Japanese designers as part of Tokyoeye — a unique cross-cultural exchange initiative by Japan’s Mi
nistry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) collections to buyers from India and all over the world.

Leaflets flown in by North Korea used to be spotted in Seoul until the late 1970s. They were full of unsophisticated propaganda about how happily the people lived under the leadership of their “Great Leader” Kim Il-sung.

The increasingly assertive role in international politics being promoted by Bejing since the Group of 20 was set-up has been accompanied by a strategy of cultural diplomacy designed to project soft power to the rest of the world.

Late last year, a senior official from the Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing announced that there were now over 40 million foreign learners worldwide studying Chinese.

Ever ordered fried “wantanes” and “chop suey de pollo”? More and more Latin Americans are doing just that as China tries to quietly promote its food and culture in the region.