An innovative partnership between the leading private media group in the Middle East and top television writers and showrunners from the United States is taking a different approach: tackling the war of narratives. It might sound strange, or even frivolous, in the midst of an all-out war against the Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq. But, in fact, it makes perfect sense, given the cultural, ideological nature of the larger battle against extremism.

TV audiences in New Zealand will for the first time be able to see Chinese TV dramas and films dubbed in English on a local channel. It's being made possible by an agreement signed on Friday, aimed at bringing CRI's popular China Theatre program to a Kiwi audience. [...] This will be the first time English-dubbed Chinese TV dramas will have been shown in Oceania.

British producers association Pact UK will host its first UK-China cultural exchange. The Feb. 13 meeting will see 21 senior programming executives from major Chinese broadcasters in London meeting with over 70 production companies and broadcasters. Following the launch day, Chinese executives will spend the rest of their week in placements with 23 indies selected to take part in the exchange. 

When it comes to living in a democracy, Nato Thompson argues, nothing affects us more directly and more powerfully than culture. Culture suffuses the world we live in, from TV to music to advertising to sports. And all these things, Thompson writes in his new book, Culture as Weapon, “influence our emotions, our actions, and our very understanding of ourselves as citizens.”

As part of the government's efforts to promote its "New Southbound Policy," the Ministry of Culture has earmarked a budget of US$600 million to attract international filmmakers and TV crews to produce their future projects with counterparts in Taiwan. Mulan, a musical that made its global debut this month in Singapore, is a great example of collaboration between performers from Taiwan and abroad.