When the United States or any other Western country embraces a “pivot to Asia” as a central element of its foreign policy, it must be more than a “pivot to China.” Nations such as South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and others all keep a close eye on China, but they also know that they individually and especially collectively possess enough economic and political vitality to offset some of China’s regional dominance.

The South Korean side said the China-South Korean relations are at their historical best, the two sides have enjoyed close high-level contacts, and cooperation in the sectors of economy and trade as well people-to-people exchange has yielded fruitful results.

That is the essence of the change in global politics that enables the rise of public diplomacy. The theory is not complicated, but putting public diplomacy to work requires imagination and persistence.

“Can we make ‘made in Asia, designed in Asia’ become cool, I think yes we can because the stigma that Asian brands had is disappearing and we have all the right ingredients and the manufacturing base,” said Joowon Park, director at Seoul-based Simone Fashion Company.

Engaging in cultural exchange and trade with North Korea would be more productive than the US's existing failed policy. [...] A good, very small start toward for the long-term goal of undermining the regime rather than pursuing a short-term goal of trying to talk them off nuclear weapons would be to make cultural exchanges between the two countries.

The soft power roadmap for what is needed is relatively clear. Seizing the moment requires the United States and international partners to give much higher priority to activities such as public diplomacy, sustainable development assistance, and exchange programmes.

South Korea’s capital Seoul is bustling with a huge group of Chinese tourists, reaching almost 10,000 people, on their company-sponsored incentive trip as a reward for great performance. On Friday evening, about 4,000 Chinese visitors enjoyed Korea’s signature herbal chicken soup, party after sightseeing and shopping in and out of Seoul.