Russia is more or less liked in China, Chile and Ghana, of all places. The Chinese seem to be getting used to their newly acquired status as a (nearly) global power. Their view of their northern neighbor is mellowing as the scale of comparison of the two countries’ economic and military might increasingly tilts toward Beijing. In Chile (as in many other Latin American countries) Russia is still seen as an inheritor of the Soviet Union’s anti-US mantle.

It is by now well-known that the process of globalization, beginning in the 1960s and picking up pace rapidly in the late 20th century, quickly changed the context for international affairs. Globalization produced increased contact among the peoples of the world, a rapid expansion of interdependence among nations, and an explosion of new actors in international affairs.

Kosachev did not reveal any detailed plans about the reorganization of the agency, but the gist of change was immediately clear: Russia plans to begin actively using soft power, and Rossotrudnichestvo will be charged with conducting these new politics....Dmitry Medvedev explained to the assembled delegates why this move is important.

The escalating tension is not only increasing the chances of conflict, it is also leading to a hemorrhage of any "soft power" that China previously possessed in the region. Regardless of the intentions of the U.S., it would be wise for Chinese officials to preserve and, if possible, rebuild any form of "soft power" that it can in the Asia Pacific region.

The result, as one Japanese analyst put it, was that “China scored an own goal,” immediately reversing what had been a favourable trend in bilateral relations under the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. More generally, while China spends billions of yuan in efforts to increase its soft power in Asia, its behaviour in the South China Sea contradicts its own message

In my opinion, Russia is relatively on a par with its major geopolitical rivals, as far as "hard power" is concerned: we have the military, resources and economic power. As for "soft power", unfortunately, I believe this parity has been significantly impaired. Sadly, Russia’s reputation and image in the world is much worse than the real situation in the country.

What is the point of Kiev's international biennial? When this latest addition ... was announced earlier this year, it felt like an extreme example of "soft power", with the Ukrainian government exploiting its more appealing assets, such as its cultural heritage, to improve its standing in the international community. After all, if you're going to reinvent a place, why not throw in a biennial for good measure?

The nation brand logo is not a new logo for the government, but instead a promotional logo for the UAE that shall be used to tell its story through numerous applications such as national advertisements, regional and international promotional events, TV shows, printed materials, etc.