After waging a rather impressive charm offensive for some years -- after pursuing a subdued diplomacy in which the Iron Chancellor would've taken pride -- Beijing has wantonly squandered the reserves of goodwill it accumulated in Asian capitals.

On Thursday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressed his excitement over the 3-month-old black terrier puppy he had received as a gift from his Russian counterpart. “He is a good dog and beautiful,” Chavez told a Russian delegation in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, according to the Associated Press. ”I’m going to call him ‘Russian’.”

While meeting a team of visiting Chinese journalists here, Sam Kutesa, Uganda's minister of foreign affairs hailed the China- Africa cooperation which dates back to the 1950s and 1960s as Africa struggled to free itself from colonial rule.

The event was attended by the Director of the Vientiane Department of Education and Sports, Somphou Keopannho, and Cultural Counsellor from the Vietnamese embassy in Laos, Pham Van Khanh, as well as teachers, parents, and children. Counsellor Khanh presented gifts to the children and said he believes that the Nguyen Du School will become one of the best schools in Vientiane.

The mayors met at San Francisco City Hall on the 16th anniversary of the sister city pact, vowing to continue working together on economic, technological and cultural initiatives. According to SF Appeal, Lee presented Delanoë with photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge taken to commemorate the landmark's 75th anniversary this year. "I love the Golden Gate Bridge," replied Delanoë in English.

American music bridged difference with the Vietnamese, Golub said. American musicians were surprised to see that their music had an immediate impact on the Vietnamese with whom the US fought a war for many years.

Like Bollywood, ayurveda, yoga or curry, cultural design has the potential to be India's next unique soft power for the rest of the world. While everyone agrees that design, in today's context, plays a very important role in seamlessly integrating various factors like new technology, innovative materials and brand values, celebration of local cultural heritage is equally important.

The response to that Toyota in Tianjin and the Apple iPhone5 could not be more different. What links them, however, are the notion of "soft power" and the risks and rewards of being identified as one of a given nation's leading companies...