The personal touch shows Abe’s determination to maintain ties with the Philippines as Japan competes with China for business deals. Security ties between the Southeast Asian nation and the U.S. have deteriorated under Duterte, and with China growing increasingly assertive in the region, Abe is seeking to convince his counterpart to stick with Japan and the U.S.

In Spain, for example, for every chime of the clock at midnight, people eat one grape. Each of the 12 grapes represents good luck for a month of the coming year, but only for those who can get them all in their mouths before the clock finishes striking. Here is a sampling of other traditions from around the globe that, like Spain’s grape-eating, have found their way to the United States.

An all-Filipino choir brought some early Christmas cheer during an event in the United Kingdom's capital. The 'Festive Prelude,' produced by non-profit organization the International Culture and Arts Exchange London, took place in St. Stephen's Church in Gloucester Road, West London, on December 11.

The election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency is continuing to send shockwaves in the corridors of power across East Asia. Yet even before the results of the 2016 US elections became known, the tremors of political change in the region were already evident. Arguably, the U.S. president-elect has only added fuel to the fire of America’s relations with East Asia.

“A Handbook on Philippine Public Diplomacy” is a compilation of articles written by active public diplomacy practitioners. As a pioneering work, the articles contain first-hand records of experiences in handling various issues in which Philippine diplomats needed to apply public diplomacy skills learned on the ground, such as in nation branding, online engagement, Filipino community relations abroad, and crisis management.

That Mr. Duterte’s contribution to international statecraft, the annals of which already include Ping-Pong diplomacy, would include karaoke might come as little surprise to those he leads. [...] Karaoke bars are an essential part of social life in the Philippines, and virtually every home in the country has a karaoke machine. A passion for public singing has led to competitive television shows, a multimillion-dollar business of migrant worker entertainers and several murders.

The networks that primarily seek to establish, protect and expand US primacy in Asia are driven by corporate and financial special interests including banks, the energy industry, defence contractors, agricultural and pharmaceutical giants, the US entertainment industry and media as well as tech giants.

The Philippine Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017 is an opportune time to revive the National Branding Council proposal made by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) in 20121 to build the international image and reputation of the country. Nation Branding is an important tool in managing a country’s identity across the globe forming part of public diplomacy.