“By using soft power to understand a people and their culture, you will gain a better understanding and appreciation of your partners,” Athavale said. During the three-day discourse with the junior officers, both sides were given ample opportunities to talk amongst themselves.

Holding back the $800 million in aid is unlikely to pressure Pakistan to increase cooperation with the U.S. and could strengthen those in the government who argue that Washington is a fickle ally who can't be trusted.

Powell said he remains convinced that the United States should use its political and economic influence, so-called soft power, instead of military might to achieve its goals. "We should use soft power as much as possible. But when hard power is necessary, we have to use it in the right way," he said.

Some politicians, scholars and officials wishfully claim that co-operative activities such as ship visits, combined disaster-relief exercises or partnership against piracy will translate into wider strategic trust. But there is little sign this is happening.

During research on media and conflict in Afghanistan, Professor Price came across the interesting phenomenon of "Radio in a Box,"....RIAB is a technique used by the U.S. military, in part, for improving communication with the Afghan National Army.

The U.S. should also increase its public diplomacy efforts to convince the Japanese and Okinawan legislators, media, and public that the U.S. military presence is critical to the security of Japan and regional stability.

Task Force Bon Voizen, which translates as “good neighbor,” serves as a picture-perfect image of the U.S. military's soft-power efforts, and the task force's only enemies here are time and budget. Since the task force began its mission at the end of April, it has treated more than 800 dental patients and nearly 23,000 medical patients.

There has been a renewed focus on soft power, especially after the global publicity garnered by the British royal wedding in April. "We've got an extremely active British Council here," Mr Warrington said. "There are over 50 schools teaching the British syllabus. They're all taking British exams. There are more British universities than any other universities.