With ample liquidity and sufficient expertise in the construction sector, Chinese companies – especially state-owned enterprises – are keen not only to satisfy African countries' need for development, but also to exercise China's 'soft power' on the world stage.

In the realm of international broadcasting, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) serves as the “voice of Taiwan.” The station is an amalgamation of the “Voice of Free China” service that served as the Republic of China on Taiwan’s international broadcasting arm plus the Central Broadcasting System, which for years broadcast to mainland China.

CPD University Fellow Nicholas Cull was recently quoted on the subject of nation branding by Greg Barns of the ABC blog "The Drum Unleashed." Barns cited excerpts from Cull's CPD blog "Advance Australia Where? Nation Brands and Soft Power Down-Under" as evidence of a decline in Australia's international image.

Predictably, there has been much debate about cuts in the defence budget, with spending on aircraft carriers and the renewal of the nuclear deterrent - instruments of 'hard power' - coming under particular scrutiny. Less has been said about the implications for the country's 'soft power': the BBC World Service, British Council and intellectual capital.

...if a nation wants to influence people and win friends around the globe it is easier to do if its image abroad is positive. In this context then Australia today has something to worry about.

There’s no doubt that South Korea has set its sights on becoming a major contemporary cultural hub in Asia, whether it’s through its increasingly prominent movie industry, rapidly growing design market, or proliferating modern art facilities.

As China continues to flex its economic muscles, there are rumblings that it could begin to encroach on an all-American commodity: the Hollywood blockbuster.

Taiwan must strengthen its soft power if it wants to stand on the world stage, President Ma Ying-jeou said Monday in a speech to business leaders from Chinese societies around the world.