Sports diplomacy. This term typically brings to mind images of athletes in action, engaging young and old on their field of play, sharing not only their prowess in sport, but their cultures and values. In Zimbabwe, American soccer player-turned-administrator Jon McCullough gave new meaning to sports diplomacy, trading in cleats for loafers, jerseys for business suits, and playbooks for PowerPoint.

Bihi's program is part of an emerging movement that Washington officials refer to as “CVE,” or “countering violent extremism.” The idea is simple: Inoculate young Muslims against the risks of radicalization by making them feel entrenched and happy in their communities. The execution is much more complex.

Holding back the $800 million in aid is unlikely to pressure Pakistan to increase cooperation with the U.S. and could strengthen those in the government who argue that Washington is a fickle ally who can't be trusted.

On Friday at the Nixon Library in California, Braithwaite played against Liang Geliang, a Chinese Ping Pong player who was one of the Chinese team members in Japan for the historical table tennis competition in 1971. The two of them had a rematch 40 years later.

Aside from performances by the Philippine All Strar hip-hop, crooner Jed Madela singing Broadway tunes, US Navy fleet band, Baguio residents will also get the chance to participate in interactive games and contests organized by the US embassy.

On Friday the Richard Nixon Foundation commemorated the 40th anniversary of what became known as pingpong diplomacy. The notion that sport could open a country seems outlandish on its face, but pingpong diplomacy is just one of several examples of sport influencing politics. Ultimately...sports' ability to humanize is part of the reason pingpong diplomacy can work.

July brings us our nation's birthday, which allows us to reflect on the beginning of America's history...The State Department's request of $2.14 billion for the contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities account, and recover $322 million cut from public diplomacy in 2008.

Today, the Soviet Union has vanished, and Chinese power is growing. Some in the US argue that China's rise cannot be peaceful, and that the US, therefore, should now adopt a policy of containing the People's Republic. Indeed, many Chinese officials perceive that to be the current American strategy.