In the immediate aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake, the United States, the United Nations, and the international community sprang to the country's aid. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft, including the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the amphibious assault ships USS Bataan and USS Nassau, and the hospital ship USNS Comfort, deployed to Haiti to deliver relief supplies and medical assistance.

Working at the intersection of policy and science is where I have spent much of my career so a symposium like this is right up my alley. Science diplomacy is critical to the work that lies ahead and this symposium no doubt will generate valuable ideas for moving the nuclear security agenda forward.

President Obama may have brought business deals and jobs from India, but what is in evidence everywhere is the Indian smart power. It is palpable not only in the traditional 'Little Indias' in different cities, but in mainstream newspapers, Ivy League universities, and the boardrooms of American companies.

As Secretary Hillary Clinton stated last week, U.S.-China relations are now at “a critical juncture.” Public diplomacy plays a crucial role in steering this vital relationship in a positive direction.

Today, the first lady Michelle Obama will speak about the initiative to increase the number of American students studying abroad in China. It is specifically designed to train students and the next generation of professionals on how to orchestrate and communicate in U.S.-China relations in the future decades.

As President Obama welcomes Chinese president Hu Jintao for a state visit, Americans should get ready for a Chinese ad blitz on TV. The spots -- with images of ordinary Chinese citizens juxtaposed with celebrities like the NBA's Yao Ming -- are aimed at improving China's image in the U.S. Will it work? Marketplace's Scott Tong takes a look.

The damage caused by the WikiLeaks controversy has caused little real and lasting damage to American diplomacy, senior state department officials have concluded. It emerged in private briefings to Congress by top diplomats that the fallout from the release of thousands of private diplomatic cables from all over the globe has not been especially bad.

China has unveiled a 60-second promotional video on the huge screens in New York City's Times Square to coincide with President Hu Jintao's US visit this week -- a flashy bit of soft diplomacy.