So what does digital diplomacy even mean? In short, it means a government putting out it’s foreign policy messages via social media channels, looking to engage in dialogue with the target countries. It’s not without some controversy and there are those who suggest it’s just a form of cultural export…

The CCP recently called for extra efforts to get Taiwan's youth into the China boat... In droves of surveys, the island's youth has stubbornly said they feel more Taiwanese than Chinese, and that Japan but not China is their favorite country. They say they would only consider moving to China to make more money, not because they think it's trendy or cool.

Despite its undoubted global prominence, China's onstage presentation remains amateurish, and even clumsy, according to some observers. The country's efforts in building so-called "soft power", a phrase coined by American scholar Joseph Nye, are defined as a doomed charm offensive, and its media are widely regarded as a government mouthpiece.

“The cultural impact of Indian cuisine, literature, films, music and sporting events will increasingly be felt globally through and beyond India’s vast diaspora,” writes Mr. Kitchen. This is likely to be more significant than any “constructive international role” India will continue to play.

Although the Chinese government has invested heavily in promoting the spread of Chinese culture overseas, some art groups do not agree with the funding behavior. They say the best way to successfully introduce China's cultural products into mainstream Western society is through commercial channels.

Through such platforms as overseas visits by Chinese leaders, receiving visits to China by foreign leaders, the Beijing Olympic Games and Shanghai World Expo, we engaged in dynamic public and cultural diplomacy...and showed to the rest of the world a China that is culturally-advanced, democratic, open and making continuous progress.

"Deepening cultural exchanges with foreign countries, and promoting Chinese and foreign cultures to learn from each other" has been listed as one of the major tasks of the Chinese government in 2012, says the government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress in Beijing.

Putin perceives Russia as being the target of constant and mostly unfriendly pressure – from military challenges such as NATO enlargement to the imposition of social changes through media campaigns and other “soft power” elements...Success is only possible if based on use of power and this must be real 'hard' power.