India’s trade with Africa was $45 billion in 2010. And while that’s up sharply from $11 billion in 2006, it still trails China’s $119 billion worth of trade with Africa, the country with a 20-year headstart in Africa. It has built highways and railways, bridges and airports and has been savvy at winning African friends through so-called soft power.

Washington realizes that Turkey has greater influence in the transformation efforts of the people in the region due to its soft power.... The outcome of this is now becoming visible with Turkey’s growing influence and its changing perception and image in the US.

That India has woken up to the geopolitical and soft-power benefits of boosting its profile in the Buddhist world—in particular, the Buddhist countries in the India-China neighbourhood—is evident from the energies it expended on the conference [of Buddhist leaders].

India, with its unique cultural and civilisation strengths has tremendous assets in the soft power arena that are yet to be fully harnessed effectively. Its multi-ethnic culture, peace-generating civilisation values that includes religious and philosophical ideals, and the unique art forms and literatures are perhaps the core of this soft power asset mix.

Others rightly resent Pakistan’s unwillingness to undertake tough economic reforms as a step toward helping itself. Still others wonder why we should assist a country where virulent anti-Americanism is pervasive.

“The incident sends a clear signal to China.. With the U.S. strategy of refocusing on the region, it is already making inroads in Myanmar. It also acts as a reminder that the public diplomacy of China still leaves much to be desired.”

“When you don’t really have efficient soft power in the countries which you want to become part of your geopolitical arena, you need to pay for their loyalty,” said Preyherman, of the Discussion and Analytical Society.