China has launched a drive to win "hearts and minds" in Africa just as western powers – including Britain and America – are cutting back on their spending on international broadcasting. In January China Central Television (CCTV) launched its first African hub in Nairobi.

On November 2, Xinhua News Agency issued its first digital interactive e-magazine in Arabic, called China Panorama. The new service will focus on in-depth financial reporting and will target Arab elites and professionals. Its aim is to provide a “better and deeper understanding of China and Chinese economy”. Xinhua will thus add another piece to its expanding media network, which already boasts 142 overseas branches.

Indonesia was not on US President Barack Obama’s Southeast Asian itinerary as he made his first trip abroad since winning reelection. But like many visitors to Southeast Asia, he might have enjoyed a brief respite from worries back home when he was in our region.

The U.S. Department of State announced today that Indonesian performers Jogja Hip Hop Foundation is traveling from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to communities across America as part of a cultural diplomacy initiative, Center Stage, from November 15 to December 8.

After investing tens of billions of dollars in Southeast Asia, China has now decided that its vaunted economic power, which has bought it significant influence with regional governments, is not enough. Beijing now wants to be loved, too. In this brave new world of Chinese diplomacy, language and culture -- and, yes, pop songs -- are playing a major role in Beijing's quest to be understood...

Early adopters in countries like Morocco, Algeria and Palestine have a more strongly developed and time-tested hip-hop scene—but across the greater Arab world, hip-hop has risen up alongside folk anthems as a revolutionary soundtrack. And in the Western world, Arab diaspora rap preoccupies itself with questions of Eastern and Western dislocated identity.

Participating in the video conference were personnel from the Prime Minister's Office National Information Directorate, the Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Ministry, the Foreign Ministry (from Dublin), the IDF Spokesperson's Office New Media Division, and students and public diplomacy activists.

Word is out that the U.K. has toppled the U.S. in Monocle’s 2012 Soft Power Survey. Given all the positive news coming out of the Isles this year, one should neither be surprised, nor particularly worried. Chances are, there are likely some who are not impressed. As evidenced by the Obama-Maroney photo released by the White House yesterday, American memes have a soft power of their own and American culture is strong.