Despite China’s considerable economic influence, however, China has largely been unable to project its soft power into the region, as it has been unable to do in many areas of the world – if indeed it wants to.

What if Washington had concluded that this competition required not more military might, but more and smarter investment in education, innovation, energy and the environment, and the full unfolding of America's soft power?

Almost 10 years after 9/11, the United States has a new window of opportunity to regain the initiative in the “missing battle” of the campaign against terrorism. That is, a sustained soft power effort to win the battle for hearts and minds in predominantly Muslim countries.

There is general agreement the core role of public diplomacy is to further foreign policy and to promote our national interests. The need to sustain a vibrant international education sector is clearly in our national interest.

Australia operates in a vacuum in international education and public diplomacy. But in their recent paper, Bond University researchers argue for more active public diplomacy leadership, improved evaluation and expanded dialogue within the sector and broader community. Such strategies would maximise the soft-power potential of Australia's international education and contribute to our future international positioning.

The 24-year-old host of "OMG Meiyu," a trendy, cross cultural English teaching feature produced by Voice of America’s Mandarin Service, has become an overnight sensation in China...More than 2-million people have now clicked on Jessica Beinecke’s quirky videos, which teach Chinese speakers about common English expressions used by young Americans.

It might be the end of American hegemony in the global political and economic order, but unemployed and underpaid Americans can at least take heart at today's news. Social networking site Badoo.com conducted a poll of 30,000 people in 15 countries to name the coolest nationality. Despite a sinking economy, pathetic politics, and increasingly suspect pop culture exports -- Americans are still number 1.