President Obama is hosting German Chancellor Angela Merkel for an Official Visit June 6-7. The visit reaffirms the strong ties between the United States and Germany, which are grounded in common heritage, ideals, values and interests and encompass a wide variety of endeavors, including cooperating on defense and security...and promoting democracy and human rights.

The Obama administration is embarking on a fundamental overhaul of Voice of America and other official broadcasters — one that seeks to adapt their traditional diplomatic missions to the era of Facebook and Twitter...the need for the United States to get its message across to an often hostile world is greater than ever.

More than two years into his term, Obama cuts the image of an all-business envoy, seldom going outside normal business hours to turn on the charm with other heads of state. He appears to have built few deep personal bonds with foreign leaders, and his forays into public diplomacy are notable for their rarity.

Under the State Department's Whatchamacallit for Public Diplomacy are... Arabic-speaking members of the Digital Outreach Team who respond to blog posts in the region... the State Department has developed its own Twitter and Facebook accounts in Arabic, Persian, and other languages.

I’ve been tracking elements of China’s complicated and ambitious policy of expanding its information sphere to a possibly waiting world. In late May, I heard Dr. Hu Zhengrong, one of China’s most distinguished ambassadors to the international academic world, give a talk on this “going out” policy to the International Communications Association in Boston.

No longer does the region assume that peace is a given and Chinese economic growth will not create other problems. Instead, the focus is on managing conflicts and attempting to allay mutual suspicions through dialogue. But it is too late for China to restore the status quo ante...balancing diplomatic necessities with nationalistic impulses is proving difficult.

A Hollywood drama about the Russia-Georgia war of August 2008 has premiered in the Georgian capital. Cuban-American actor Andy Garcia, who stars as President Mikheil Saakashvili, spoke alongside director Renny Harlin at the premier screening in Tbilisi. The film dramatizes Saakashvili's role in the events.

With Broadway's post 9/11 struggles in the rear-view mirror, it is clear that musicals are once again one of the biggest attractions in the Big Apple. And in a controversial shift from the traditional, many of the musicals rely heavily on pre-existing movies, songs and stars.