Turkey’s geopolitical importance enables Turkey to use its soft power to establish prosperity in neighbouring regions and to create win-win situations. Aside from actively engaging in international organizations, Turkey has also promoted its “conservative democracy” as a model for transforming Arab societies throughout the Middle East.

APDS Blogger: Jessica Castillo

Culture is critical to the future of the Party because it goes to the heart of the Party's hold on power. Economic growth has contributed to its legitimacy, but the public's belief that only the Party can make China a strong country is its real trump card. To maintain this illusion, the usual way is fulminating against the foreign forces that are trying to hold back China's rise with "Cold War thinking."

In 2012, every country that has global clout, and every country that aspires to that status, will use smart power — a combination of soft and hard power — to achieve national goals. India is not doing badly, but it has to brace itself for hard battles in soft power in the years to come.

Country branding is founded (like disciplines such as public diplomacy) on the realization that, in an overcrowded global information marketplace, countries and political leaders are, in effect, competing for the attention of investors, tourists, supranational organizations, non-government organizations, regulators, media and consumers.

Young Indians, who have embraced Levis, McDonalds and MTV, are hungering for Western television. In an effort to attract younger viewers without offending the older ones, Indian TV is now showing some of America's edgiest shows – but cutting out the edge.

Few Indian films have made as deep an impact in China since the days of Raj Kapoor as Rajkumar Hirani's 2009 film, 3 Idiots. The film struck an instant chord with China's famously overworked students, so much so that some Chinese universities were even prescribing the film in their coursework as a kind of stress-relief in their classrooms.

Hostile international powers are strengthening their efforts to Westernise and divide us," Hu wrote in an article, noting "ideological and cultural fields" are the main targets. "We must be aware of the seriousness and complexity of the struggles and take powerful measures to prevent and deal with them.