China wants to use both inbound and outbound tourism to help promote its international image, which has been battered by endless product and food safety scandals and ethnic unrest.

It was meant as a symbol of friendship that would help to heal the wounds of a long history of bloodshed, bitterness, and recrimination between Turkey and Armenia. Instead, an imposing monument in the eastern Turkish city of Kars near the two countries' border threatens to become yet another victim of their tortured relations after incurring the wrath of Turkey's mercurial prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Many cultural diplomacy endeavors within governments, particularly when using the visual arts, present art in the safety of the traditional museum or mega-gallery. While the reasons for doing so are understandable, it's much more exciting to hear about programs that accept a bit more out-of-the-box type of approach.

Whether one supports or finds fault with current (and envisioned) U.S. diplomacy and international development processes and practices, most foreign policy analysts and academics will recognize the first Quadrennial Diplomatic and Development Review (QDDR) as a landmark document.

However, the 21st century is characterised by globalisation, assertive public opinion, an ever present 24x7 media and Web 2.0 technology. This combination lends increased significance to public diplomacy. Recognising the magnitude of the changing scene, India has begun well...

Singapore diplomats would be more cautious in discussions with their US counterparts following the publication of confidential cables by WikiLeaks, the city-state's foreign minister said Monday, calling the release of the documents a disaster for the US.

President Ma Ying-jeou says that he hopes to make Taiwan into an Asia-Pacific education hub. Ma was speaking at a forum organized by Commonwealth magazine in Taiwan. The president spoke about how Taiwan's higher education can become a major industry.