The Chinese government has spent billions in recent years to subsidize artistic enterprises, with an eye toward wielding "soft power" beyond its borders. It hasn't been notably successful. But China's video game industry -- as of last year, the world's biggest -- is on the verge of becoming one of its most valuable cultural exports. It just might succeed where so much Chinese entertainment has failed in the past.

With a brand that simultaneously presents a welcoming, cheerful facade and a darker, more sinister underbelly, Jamaica’s nation brand presents difficulties to its economy. Can it successfully position itself as neither a perennial resort nor a crime-ridden Caribbean island and achieve its full potential internationally?

Knock-offs aside, a bigger reason for China’s lack of a “Gangnam style” hit is the pervasive censorship apparatus that keep tight control on print, radio, TV and live music performances. Censorship is even tighter than usual this month, ahead of China’s leadership transition in early November. As Chinese pundits study for lessons about soft power, that’s one theme that they dare not write about.

China cannot be too deterministic about its practice of "soft power", said the Australian don, who spoke under the Chatham House Rule (a principle that governs the confidentiality of the source of information received at a meeting)... "China defines soft power as though one can assemble it at the border and export it like a box of toys," he added. "That is light years away from Nye's original concept."

Instead of chasing quick wins in the contest for hearts and minds, China should simply conduct itself in a way that speaks to the values that its new superhero is said to promote

"China has developed its economic and political prowess, but still is relatively weak when it comes to culture in the global arena," he says. But what China really needs to do is to ensure that its cultural exports promote creative cooperation and are also in sync with what the rest of the world wants.

Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd will receive an unspecified level of financial support from Bank of China Ltd to boost the development of China's cultural industry, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.