In what seems likely to be a concerted and protracted charm offensive, China has been inviting hundreds of Myanmar opinion-formers to “improve understanding” on their part of China’s intentions. China is telling Myanmar that it knows Myanmar has changed, and that China’s attitude has changed too.

Saudi Arabia has an image problem. From allegations of exporting a radical Islamist ideology, to the war on Yemen and gender rights, the country’s reputation often takes a battering around the world. Now, the culture ministry has been given the challenging task of improving domestic and international perceptions, while delivering a 10 per cent increase in positive media coverage of the kingdom by 2020.

Even while rustling up investments worth billions for India, PM Narendra Modi constantly looks like he's having fun. Instead of the formal press meetings and handshaking that typified our previous PMs, this one is ensuring he's having a good time, and casually changing the rule book of how diplomacy is conducted.