In the absence of a credible hard power global role, the EU's real influence comes in the form of its market's ability to attract partners and thereby spread norms. With European growth projections looking bleak for the next few years, this trend is likely to become generalized, meaning that EU soft power is going to take an even greater hit than it has in the past year.

Chinese President Hu Jintao's official visit to Ottawa on Wednesday is seen here as the next step — but not necessarily the final one — in restoring normalcy to Sino-Canadian relations...As its economic clout soars so far ahead of its political weight in the world, China professes to be aiming for "peaceful development internationally," and says it wants to pursue "soft power" initiatives to strengthen its global presence.

On his historic tour of Shanghai by the maiden direct flight from Taipei Songshan Airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport June 14, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin told the media that he wants to move the world with "soft power." What is Taiwan's soft power?

As the world's largest democracy, with a vibrant press and thriving entertainment industry, India has huge soft power advantages over China and its state-controlled media. The implication is India can take advantage of that goodwill as Asia's two giants battle for influence in the region and around the world.

Shot in a life-size replica of the temple built in Zhejiang province, "Shaolin"could re-introduce the background to one of the best-known Chinese worlds, [Emperor Motion Pictures CEO Albert] Lee said, right at a time when the industry is under pressure from Beijing to make exportable movies to help China's soft power.

Turkey remains stubbornly fixed in Western culture as a backward-looking land of doner kebabs, bazaars, and guest workers. But take population out of the equation -- an admittedly big variable -- and Turkey promptly becomes a likely candidate for future superpower.

To celebrate the first global sporting event to be contested on the African continent, the South African hosts staged a dazzling pageant on the soccer pitch that reflected the nation's arts, culture, song and dance, as well as multiple jet flyovers, fireworks and a giant dung beetle kicking a giant inflated soccer ball toward a goal.

So like a debtor who decides that it's easier to ask for a raise than chop up his credit cards, Team Obama decided to focus on boosting American power, not reducing American obligations. The Bush Administration, they reasoned, had leveraged only military power. Obama would deploy "soft power" too, the power to attract rather than coerce.