The much touted soft power of India has once again taken a beating, with even bbc reporting the incident and the Internet buzzing with discussions regarding the cancelled show. Indian musicians and promoters are afraid that this might scare away global artists from coming to India.

The phrase “gets bandied about in various ways,” said Mr. Goldkorn. “It should mean that you have the power of attraction, and China’s been very bad at that,” he said, citing its lack of transparency, harsh treatment of dissidents, hard-line stance over claims in the South China Sea and food safety scandals.

Taiwan's private sector is trying to involve more industries in its effort to promote medical tourism, with the latest trial balloon drawing interest from a local airline, according to a local travel agency.