In Afghanistan and across the Arab world, U.S. public diplomacy and coalition-building efforts seek to distinguish between the religious traditions of Islam and archaic tribal practices that oppress women — like honor killings, genital mutilation, denial of education and property rights.

...state media groups push aggressively into overseas territories, buying or opening radio stations and television channels as Beijing develops its "soft power" policy. ... these foreign ventures are often not huge revenue generators, continuing the decades-long tradition in which party mouthpieces consume government funds in return for projecting a positive image of China and its rulers.

Taiwan, a small island the size of Belgium with a population of some 23 million, is the mother of all status quo powers. If ever there was a country more interested in preserving the conditions of the here and now, it is this one.

FOR a lesson in the use of ‘soft power’, turn to Beijing. China has made culture and people-to-people contacts an essential cornerstone of its global diplomacy. The key focus so far has been on countries in the neighbourhood, with China working hard to defuse perceptions that it seeks to dominate the rest of Asia. The rest of the world is now also getting a taste of China’s cultural diplomacy.

The EU has considerable soft power which can bring about reforms in human rights and level-playing-field trading that have not only improved the lives of its own citizens but will also improve those who aspire to join (eurozone membership is something else).

Two weeks ago the House of Commons foreign affairs select committee warned that cuts of almost £40 million to the Foreign Office would lead to a "diminution of the UK's influence and soft power", leaving it with a budget smaller than that of Kent County Council.

In keeping with IMEMO’s longstanding orientation toward economic analysis, “Outlook: 2030” draws heavily on hard economic data, including figures for GDP, labor productivity, R&D investment, currency reserves, population growth and other important metrics... Outlook” even embraces the terms “soft power” and “smart power” coined by Western experts during the past two decades.

After highlighting the Obama administration's focus on soft power, in an uncharacteristically militaristic turn, Clinton emphasized the need for every country to strive for freedom, regardless of the cost.