The Kung Fu Panda series does not boast remarkable plot lines. In fact, to many critics, it is a plain story coming straight out of the US film assembly line. Its success sheds a light on how to commercialize cultural elements and increase so-called soft power.

China's strength lies in its deep pockets, which are said to have helped it swing deals in its favor. India's advantage lies in public goodwill and Delhi hopes that this and its soft power strategy will help it build sustainable partnerships in Africa.

Brazil has become both strong confident enough to play an active role on the world stage. In an increasingly multipolar world, Brazil is emerging as a powerful voice representing the Global South in multilateral forums like the G-20, the World Trade Organization and discussions over greenhouse gas emissions.

He said Taiwan needs also to combine its economic power with diplomacy to show the world the country's national strength and soft power....Over the past three years, he noted, Taiwan has participated in many international humanitarian aid projects in countries struck by natural disasters.

The presence of a growing number of French-speaking Africans reflects a monumental shift in the relationship of sub-Saharan Africa to France and to the U.S. The new appreciation that French-speaking Africans display for the U.S. is significant for cultural as well as a geopolitical reasons.

As Kabul has begun to get back on its feet, returnees like anthropology student Siddique Ahmed, his two band mates and their like, have brought an infusion of new and old musical influences to the city of their birth and have begun forging a growing music scene.

As Arab uprisings sweep the Middle East, few images will likely unsettle Iran's leadership more than that of their flag being burned by Syrian protesters angry with the Islamic Republic's deep ties with Syria's dynastic regime.

India's focus on using soft power to enhance trade and investment with Africa is clearly far more appealing to local partners than the breathless grab for resources that Africans have come to associate with most of its other foreign investors.