As China grapples with the question of how it can strengthen the rule of law, it might be interesting to consider the rule of law's soft power dividends.  Rule of law refers to a condition where law prevails in the governance of a country and where no one is above the law.

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."

On Wednesday evening, just before the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that have shaped modern American history, President Obama gave a speech that outlined a plan for fighting the Islamic State extremist group.  Here's some of the reaction from a selection of countries.

North Korea’s approach to marketing itself to foreign visitors has often been contradictory, the product of competing bureaucracies and the changing whims of the leadership.  In this environment, North Korean authorities can often seem hungry for foreign visitors one minute, then going out of their way to frighten them off the next.

As Thailand’s armed forces fan out across its body politic and economy, the country’s international standing is increasingly challenged.  The tough responses from Western and some Asian governments are set to remain stiff and perhaps intensify if basic individual rights are further violated and threatened. 

Investigators are still far from an official judgment of what brought down a Malaysia Airlines flight in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 passengers and crew onboard. But the global court of public opinion, the verdict appears to be rendered.

As new revelations about America’s electronic surveillance efforts continue to emerge, a new Pew Research Center survey finds widespread opposition around the world to U.S. eavesdropping. Still, America’s overall image remains mostly positive.

Argentina, the United States and Iran appear to be the most disliked World Cup teams. Brazilian fans enter the World Cup as the most confident, though Argentines and Spaniards aren’t far behind in their home-country optimism. And fans across many countries agree that the Brazilians play the most attractive form of soccer. These are among the results from a study of people in 19 countries conducted by YouGov, the online survey firm, in collaboration with The Upshot.