The Chinese martial artist-turned-movie star is starting a taichi school...Mr. Li said he wants it to one day be as cool to practice taichi as it is to watch American movies. The actor’s new venture could indeed give a boost to China’s efforts to export its culture, which have involved investments in the billions of dollars but have been criticized as unimaginative.

Seeking to put more of its own spin on global affairs and provide counterspin to offest coverage generated by CNN, the Voice of America and other U.S .public diplomacy outlets, official Chinese media is expanding its footprint in the southern hemisphere.The expanded coverage is an example of how China shape-shifts content delivery to support its global policy initiatives on a broad spectrum of issues.

A collection of rare vintage Bollywood showcards is taking top billing at one of Toronto’s biggest museums. “We think of Bollywood as such a localized phenomenon, but in fact it has been part of the global film industry from its inception..."

Soft power diplomacy through the Rugby World Cup ... is not just symbolic. Money and people from New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been diverted to support the RWC and you won't have to go far to hear the term 'rugby diplomacy' used as a new form of New Zealand's soft power.

America's adversaries are not really most afraid of its military or even economic power. They are most afraid of its moral power...America's greatest natural resource and comparative advantage is its dynamic, multicultural society drawn together by a unifying concept...But, the way we approach the world through our foreign and national security policies is woefully inappropriate and counterproductive.

Pakistan's newest TV game show, Alif, Laam, Meem, the Islamic version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire...has become one of Pakistan's most popular shows. The show's emergence, and its burgeoning popularity, mirrors the broader direction of Pakistan...where religion is increasingly dominating all areas of life. Geo TV says the show's aim is to "impart knowledge of religion in its entirety".

If a Millennial foreign policy exists, the concept of smart power—developing and employing the complete policy arsenal at our disposal to influence through soft power and, when necessary, compel with hard power—might be its central tenet.