The nation now most prone to such diplomatic pirouettes is the United States, still the world’s greatest power. Its strength has ever been defined, in important part, as idealism, “soft” power: belief in pluralism in politics, in free speech and a free press. These institutions are held to self-evidently good for a society: and the United States, with the European allies, has long preferred and rewarded those states which promise to follow that path.
 

Germany has beaten the US to be named the best country in the world, according to a survey that rates nations on how they are perceived by outsiders.

 Beginning this week, the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with Global Ties U.S., will sponsor the Diplomacy Begins Here series - eight citizen diplomacy summits in communities across the United States. The summits will bring attention to the critical role that public and citizen diplomacy play in building a more peaceful, prosperous world at home and abroad. 

A pledge on Wednesday from President Xi Jinping of China to help fight climate change is expected to send a strong signal, since meeting global emissions-reduction goals will require sustained efforts from Beijing in curbing the country’s addiction to coal and greatly bolstering sources of renewable energy, analysts and policy advisers say.

President Obama is in China for less than three days this week, but he is seeing a great deal of President Xi Jinping.  Mr. Obama will spend far less quality time with the broader Chinese population. There are no town-hall-style meetings, televised interviews or major speeches on his schedule.

North Korea’s release of two detained Americans signals Kim Jong Un is responding to pressure from international sanctions over its weapons program and a probe of human-rights violations, analysts said.