...The fourth priority is what I call economic statecraft; in particular, how we use diplomacy and development to create American jobs. We have more than 1,000 State Department economic officers working to help American businesses connect to new markets and consumers.

Americans may be more interested in domestic issues with gas prices rising sharply, unemployment still high, and continued instability in the market -- but a coherent message from Secretary Clinton that stresses the important role that foreign aid plays in an increasingly unstable democratic world is in dire need.

Thailand is now most of the way through the first term of the Obama administration, and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has introduced and implemented the concept of "smart power" in relation to US foreign policy, which attempts to strategically combine elements from both "hard power" and "soft power" approaches.

Through trade, investment, educational exchanges and other outlets, the United States and China have dramatically increased their ties. Many experts believe these cross-cultural exchanges can foster mutual understanding between the two peoples in a way that is as effective as or sometimes even more effective than professional politics.

On Thursday, March 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of State will host its first-ever Spanish-language Twitter Briefing. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike Hammer will take questions submitted to the Department’s official Spanish-language Twitter feed @USAenEspanol.

While the latest aircraft carrier movements and military maneuvers here are chronicled closely in U.S. media, significant public diplomacy initiatives go largely unreported. This past week provided a prime example: For his first-ever visit, Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong led a 500-person delegation including party officials, business leaders and Chinese celebrities.

Alice Kendrick, professor in the Temerlin Advertising Institute of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, has been named to the Global Insights Advisory Council for Brand USA (formerly the Corporation for Tourism Promotion).

While people are rightly pointing to the power of social media to bring people across societies together, exchanges still represent a key component of public diplomacy. Exchanges offer an in-depth experience with a foreign country, its culture, its systems, and most importantly, its people.