Liyuan's public persona has not disappointed in providing a spark of personality to China's image abroad. The high-profile spouse, widely regarded as the most visible since since Jiang Qing, the late wife of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, has played a significant role in diplomacy.

Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported back in June that a planned Yang-Yachi meeting in mid-July would focus on two topics: Abe’s planned statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and a possible summit between the Chinese and Japanese leaders. Abe and Xi have meet several times since both assumed office, but always on the sidelines of larger multilateral groupings. A purely bilateral meeting between Asia’s two largest economies would be a major step forward.

Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his ancestral home town at the start of a three-day visit to China on Thursday as the two Asian giants work to boost economic ties despite decades of mistrust.

Buddhism and yoga will form part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s soft power diplomacy as he visits China today and tries to increase his nation’s influence in the world’s second-largest economy. Modi, who heads a 50-strong delegation, arrived in the ancient city of Xian – the home town of President Xi Jinping – this morning at the start of a three-day trip.

Current President Xi Jinping has sought to make a mark for himself as an image re-maker; seeking to scrub clean his party’s reputation through a major ongoing anti-corruption drive. He’s also championed the power of art and film to increase China’s international influence, to make it a cultural as well as a political and military power. The official line is to 'send culture out into the world'.

After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that flattened parts of the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu on Saturday and unleashed avalanches on Mount Everest, India and China barely missed a beat. Within hours of the disaster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dispatched military aircraft carrying workers, medicines and blankets.

Chinese President Xi Jinping appealed to wealthy nations to increase support for developing countries during a summit Wednesday, saying China would offer trade benefits to poor nations having diplomatic ties with Beijing.

The government is set to launch a new scholarship program for students coming from countries involved in the country’s Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the Beijing Times reported.