On June 4, Rodriguez, 63, an artist closely identified with the Cuban revolution, will begin his first U.S. tour in 31 years at Manhattan’s Carnegie Hall...“The Obama administration has come through with its pledge to use cultural diplomacy as an olive branch with Cuba,” Bill Martinez, a San Francisco immigration lawyer who handled Rodriguez’s visa application

Audiences for daytime shows have shrunk in the United States since the 1980s, as the number of channels increased and more women entered the workforce...By relegating soap operas to daytime television and female audiences and resisting changes to a formula that worked during the 1950s and 1960s, the United States could inadvertently relinquish a hefty, if unintentional, tool in its soft-power arsenal.

Senior U.S. and Indian officials have begun an unprecedented strategic dialogue aimed at increasing cooperation in combating terrorism, climate change and other global problems. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hopes the talks will dispel lingering doubts on both sides about the growing bilateral partnership.

Diplomats with decades of experience and knowledge need to work with the under-30 age group that is deftly using Internet-based communication technology, Cohen [Jared Cohen, a member of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's policy planning staff] said. Traditional channels of diplomacy are fine, but they will need an assist from Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to succeed.

It is clear from the general discourse surrounding the terms public diplomacy, strategic communication (and a recommended alternative “Signaling Integration” to be announced), and global engagement that each of these terms face their own inadequacies...As each of the aforementioned terms are tainted in some way or another, I recommend a new label that is comprehensive, simple, and flexible.

A seminar on the promotion of post-war Vietnamese literature in the US and other countries was held in the northern province of Hoa Binh on June 2 with the participation of Vietnamese and US writers. The seminar...underlined the role of Vietnamese writers and poets in promoting Vietnam’s image to foreign countries.

Last month, President Obama released his first National Security Strategy...This National Security Strategy (NSS) goes to great lengths to discuss the complex and intertwined global and governmental environments...However, the imperative of creating understanding and shaping influence at all levels, from individuals to governments, is at best a subtle inclusion throughout and at worse a passing thought.

I'm honored to join you this evening, and to salute the leadership of the Asia Society and the College Board for convening this conversation on learning Chinese and thinking globally.