The United States has exhausted its annual supply of EB-5 immigrant investor visas for the first time in the program's history following a surge of applications from Chinese nationals.  The State Department's chief of visa control, Charles Oppenheimer, told lawyers at an industry conference earlier this week that no more spots will be available to Chinese for the rest of the fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

When one looks at our top national brands with their domestic and international presence, it is befitting that South Africa continues to rank as a top destination not only for tourism but also inward investment. In this regard, the recent AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index ranks South Africa 13th globally, the only African country to be in the top 25 in the world while the EY Africa Attractiveness Survey attests to South Africa’s standing as the top destination for FDI projects on the continent.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed Tuesday with Russian President Vladimir Putin the creation of a Russian industrial hub in Egypt as part of the latest Suez Canal development project.  The visit is also meant to address Cairo's purchase of advanced surface-to-air missiles and membership in a Moscow-led free trade zone, Agence France-Presse reported.

For all RAK’s efforts, the nation-branding exercise has not been an immediate success, critics say.  But FutureBrand has also placed the UAE as the number-one brand of the future. “To achieve its goal of being a model country in the future, the UAE is actively investing in its own commercial and tourism ecosystems,” according to the 2012-2013 FutureBrand report.

Yu Hyun-seok, president of the Korea Foundation, deplores the reality of Korean public diplomacy, citing the government’s lack of recognition in the importance of and investment in U.S. think tanks that have growing significance. 

The new battle for Africa does not deploy strong-arm tactics, it is now a soft power game: economic and humanitarian aid, interest-free loans, preferential trade agreements and investments in infrastructure are currency across a continent that is, for the world's established and emerging powers, seemingly up for grabs.

Soon enough, Brazil will be able to boast the largest aquarium in South America. It may also be the most truly American project in the Western Hemisphere. While the backers of Acquario Ceará are aiming to create a new design symbol for South America, it will be almost entirely a product of North America. 

Foreign direct investment in Indonesia rose 7.3% in the second quarter, suggesting improved confidence in Southeast Asia’s largest economy following peaceful legislative elections in April.  According to government data, Indonesia drew an additional $7.4 billion (85.2 trillion rupiah) between April and June compared to the three months prior. FDI year-on-year was up 2.8%.