''Geoff has been a first-class ambassador for Australia,'' Mr Rudd said in a phone interview in answer to a question about their personal relationship. Knowledge of a Chinese language was just one of many skills in the diplomatic ''tool kit'' that was needed to know about and deal with China, he said.

Taiwan has a plan to compete with China in the international cultural propaganda stakes: by opening “Taiwan Academies” that will teach the Chinese language with a strong focus on traditional characters and culture.

APDS Blogger: Jerry Edling

When the Polish politicians and the media began harassing Lithuania with growing poignancy and without a more reasonable ground, the representatives of our country, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), should have contacted Lucas, explained the Lithuanian position...

Phil Rosenthal, the creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond," was delighted when Sony asked him if he wanted to go to Moscow to help oversee a Russian-language production of his long-running sitcom.

“Five million Kurds in Iraqi Kurdistan have become a beacon of light for the 35 million Kurds who live in Turkey, Syria, and Iran. That beacon of light is keeping us awake at night and is filling our hearts with hope.”
-Kani Xulam, Director of the American-Kurdish Information Network

The Israel Foreign Ministry is speaking Arabic, on Facebook. The Facebook page which was launched in early January, entitled "Israel speaks Arabic" in Arabic, was opened by the Foreign Ministry's Media and Public Affairs Department and is devoted exclusively to Arabic-speaking audiences.

Branches of Taiwan Academy, an institute promoting Taiwanese culture and Mandarin Chinese, are set to open in Los Angeles and Houston once the U.S. gives the green light.