Assessing China's public diplomacy. 

Obama's new engagement policy in Asia, which promotes the use of "smart power", has received positive reaction among Asian members. On the other hand, China has increased its presence through financial aid, investment projects, cultural and social programs. What Asia does not want to see is a power contest between the two superpowers in the region.

The fizzy, busy sound of Korean pop have conquered airwaves in Japan and China over the past few years, but this week marks the escalation of a campaign to charm American listeners. Whereas Utada and BoA presumed being big in Asia would equal sales in the U.S., Wonder Girls is being introduced specifically for the teen and tween markets.

NATO is not a military organization, NATO is a civil organisation. The volume and dynamics of relations between Azerbaijan and NATO deserve a positive assessment, especially for its civil emergency planning, public diplomacy, mine clearance within the Trust Fund, which has successfully cleared mines over an area of 44 million square meters in Azerbaijan.

Cambridge University has come under pressure to reveal the identity of a mysterious Chinese foundation that is donating £3.7 million for a new professorship, amid fears that the pressure to raise funds may have exposed it to backdoor diplomacy by Beijing, which granted China an opportunity to deploy "soft power".

It would be hard to conjure up a grander gesture to mark the state of relations between China and Africa than the new $200m Chinese-built headquarters of the African Union. However, it was with a mixture of bemusement and awe that delegates explored their shiny new gift, completed like so many Chinese projects on the continent in less than three years.

One year after the Arab Spring, American public diplomacy is still facing the now-established conundrum of linking words and actions. The rise of Islamist political parties as the new leaders in the Arab world is the latest challenge for U.S. public diplomacy, but it is also an opportunity.