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April 30

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--Katharine, Public Diplomacy Corps

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Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at Reception for the Opening of the USA Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo - Still4Hill, When God blessed Hillary, God blessed America!

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Remarks at Reception for the Opening of the USA Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo, Ben Franklin Room, Washington, DC, April 30, 2010 - U.S. Department of State: "SECRETARY CLINTON: This is an extraordinary day to celebrate the opening of the Shanghai Expo and to share it with so many who it is literally true to say without whom this would not have been possible. ... And now, let me ask our Commissioner General to the 2010 World Expo you see there on the screen who has done such a wonderful job making sure that the Pavilion got built, got staffed, got into shape to be able to open. ... COMMISSIONER VILLARREAL: We are thrilled to be joining you from Shanghai. I don’t have to tell you how important this day is for China and the Chinese people as they celebrate the opening of World Expo. As you know, yesterday, we were privileged to receive President Hu Jintao at our pavilion. When I mentioned to President Hu and to Vice Premier Wang Qishan that you were hosting an event in Washington, D.C., contemporaneously with the Expo opening ceremonies, they expressed great appreciation. And in fact, while they were in our first area of – the welcoming area where we have this large sponsor wall with the names of all of the corporate sponsors, Vice Premier Wang Qishan motioned to the president to look at the wall. And the president made a point of mentioning how important all of these corporations are to China and so those of you who are sponsors should be very proud of that. Madam Secretary, I’m joined here by U.S. Consulate and Pavilion staff and some of our student ambassadors. The student ambassadors

performed their first official ambassadorial duties yesterday by helping me welcome President Hu, and I must say they performed marvelously. Today, we received the president of Armenia and a delegation from Hunan. Tomorrow, it is the vice president of Columbia and the secretary of tourism of Mexico. We will also receive tomorrow a delegation of U.S. mayors from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Madam Secretary, your team here in Shanghai, including all of the student ambassadors, are committed to using all of our creativity and energy to fully leverage this very unique public diplomacy opportunity. My deputy commissioner general, Tom Cooney, who is the chief public affairs officer at the consulate, in describing this opportunity has said that there will be more Chinese visiting our pavilion in just six months than the entire China mission will see in more than 20 years." Image from

USC Students to Represent US at World Expo - Suzanne Wu, USC News: "More than 70 million people are expected to visit the USA Pavilion at this summer’s World Expo in Shanghai. Chances are, many of these visitors will be welcomed - in Mandarin - by a USC student. As part of the Student Ambassador Internship Program run by the USC U.S.-China Institute on behalf of the USA Pavilion, students from 38 states nationwide have been selected to serve as national representatives and guides at the event, which begins May 1. USC will send more student ambassadors than any other school in the nation. ... As USA Pavilion Commissioner-General Jose Villerreal told Foreign Policy: 'I am particularly proud that Chinese and foreign guests will be greeted by 160 Mandarin-speaking American college students working as ‘Pavilion Student Ambassadors.’ Drawn from across the United States, from schools small and large, they will add a friendly human touch to America’s representation at the Expo.' ... The theme of this year’s Expo, expected to be the largest World’s Fair in history, is 'Better City - Better Life.' ... For the student ambassadors, working at the event is a unique opportunity to be on the front lines of high-stakes public diplomacy."

On eve of Shanghai Expo 2010, China finds 'soft power' an elusive goal - Peter Ford, Christian Science Monitor:

"Chinese authorities have seized on the Shanghai Expo 2010 – the largest in history – as another chance to enhance 'soft power' that is generated by the spread of cultures, values, diplomacy, and trade. The expo opens this weekend. ... Chinese policymakers and academics are increasingly fascinated by 'soft power,' whereby nations coopt foreign governments and citizens through the spread of their cultures, values, diplomacy, and trade, rather than coerce them by military might. ... But this is not enough, says Li Xiguang, head of the International Center for Communications Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Even the best-paid messengers need a convincing message. 'The United States has built its soft power by making its value and political system … universal values,' he says. 'China will not beat the US in soft power until we have a better and newer form of democracy, freedom, and human rights.' ... Part of the problem, suggests Pang Zhongying, of Beijing’s Renmin University, is that English, unlike Chinese, is an international language. Even with the creation of more than 200 Confucius Institutes around the world teaching Chinese, 'I don’t think China can overcome this difficulty in the short term.' ... 'There is a huge gap between the official Chinese judgment and that of outsiders,' adds Professor Pang. 'There are many intellectuals in China, but a good intellectual is not necessarily an officially recognized one.' The government has opted instead to pursue public diplomacy, or 'overseas propaganda,' as it is known here. ... 'China has a huge soft power deficit,' says Pang. 'The current Chinese model solves problems, of course, but it is also part of the problem. People outside China will pick China’s virtues, but try to avoid its disadvantages. We should learn from such natural choices, from the impression that China can only build roads and schools. That is a problem we must address.'” Elusive image from

Swing and a Miss – Laura McGinnis, manIC: "The Shanghai Expo is officially open and the U.S. pavilion is officially underwhelming--a hastily cobbled tribute to eleventh hour sponsors. The Washington Post quotes a disappointed visitor who criticized the abundance of corporate logos, adding, 'I thought the USA would have some brilliant and exciting stuff. . . . Except for buying some souvenirs, I can't think of anything special about it.' Even its theme (Rising to the Challenge) is mildly cringe-inducing, given that the pavilion nearly folded due to lack of funds. The exposition is of course rife with international swipes and backbiting, a tradition as old as the exposition itself. As Armand Mattelart argues in The Emergence of Technical Networks, expositions have always been symbolic affairs: 'The cosmopolitan rhetoric of universal fraternity and the people's fair scarcely conceals the fact that the universal exposition was a place of rival nationalisms and the production of a public discourse--political and scientific--that consecrated the notion of 'Western civilization' as the beacon of progress for other peoples.' With the current theme of Better City, Better Life, Shanghai is putting an urban spin on the modernization message. But the environment is the same: a roiling mass of people shuttled between one exhibit after another, each nation trying to put on the best show. And in the midst of it, the U.S. pavilion, underfunded by the government and overshadowed by its corporate partners. It may not be selling a fair picture of the United States--but its representation of U.S. public diplomacy is all too clear."

What Americans think of China's rise - Ethiopian Review: "Kamphausen [Roy Kamphausen of the National Bureau of Asian Research] argues while the general public may have a more cut and dry opinion of China, 'the American government has a very focused view.

One could argue that this administration and the previous one have done a not so great job of public diplomacy with their own citizenry in explaining why our relationship with China is important for America’s interest and America’s own economy. The government doesn’t have the same simplistic view that typical citizens might.'” Image from

State Department Briefing on U.S.-China Relations - blogtalkradio.com: "On April 23, 2010 members of the U.S.-China Peoples Friendship Association visited the State Department in conjunction with their 19th biannual Washington Seminar. While at the State Department, Association members listened to a panel session on a range of issues covering the U.S.-China relationship ... . Thomas Hamm, Public Diplomacy Coordinator, Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs discussed people-to-people exchanges between the United States and China."

I wasn't criticising S'pore - Jeremy Au, Straits Times:

"Mr David Adelman, on his first day on the job as United States Ambassador to Singapore, spent much of his first meeting with the Singapore media mending fences. Comments he made about Singapore's political freedom two months ago had annoyed many here. So Mr David Adelman, on his first day on the job as United States Ambassador to Singapore, spent much of his first meeting with the Singapore media mending fences. Speaking at a press conference yesterday, he stressed repeatedly that his earlier remarks - on how he would use public diplomacy to promote political freedom in Singapore - were not an attempt to interfere in local politics. He had earlier presented his credentials to President S R Nathan at the Istana. The 45-year-old former state senator of Georgia said his statement was simply an expression of his pride in the American system. It was not a specific comment about Singapore." Singapore image from

Trade is top of agenda for new US Ambassador - Imelda Saad, TODAYonline: "Newly appointed United States Ambassador to Singapore David Adelman ... said yesterday that enhancing trade with Singapore and the region will be his top agenda, and he expects many high-level trade missions here during his tenure. ... Even before stepping on Singapore soil, Mr Adelman had sparked controversy last month when he said he would use 'public diplomacy' to promote greater press and political freedom in Singapore. A few weeks later, he clarified to say domestic politics was 'something for Singaporeans to decide for themselves'. He reiterated this point yesterday: 'We in the United States are very proud of our democracy but have no interest in interfering in the domestic politics or domestic government of Singapore.' We're glad to answer questions on how our democracy works and, at times, we'll even put on programmes here at the embassy - for example, for discussing upcoming American elections. That's the type of public diplomacy I referred to." Image from article


Interview with a US Ambassador: What do you do for a living? - e-shadow.com:

"What do you do for a living? I’m a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department of the United States, and I’m currently the American ambassador to five countries in the Pacific Ocean: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, and Tonga. ... What does your work entail? One of the things I like about my job is that every week is going to be different. I have about 80 or 90 people, local employees and Americans who work for me at the embassy, and each week we have internal meetings to discuss their roles and duties. I usually have a number of meetings of people from outside the embassy as well, either local folks who have an interest in something economic, political, commercial, or maybe other diplomats or international organization types. I also do public diplomacy, the last two days I’ve given speeches at different sorts of events trying to make sure that people are well aware that the United States is here, and what our policies are and why we have them." Image from

Chaos at the Broadcasting Board of Governors - Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy: "The Obama administration's eight nominees for the Broadcasting Board of Governors aren't getting waived through any time soon. Republican senators are seeking to use their appointments as an opportunity to shed light on problems they see at the organization. 'The BBG is the most worthless organization in the federal government,' Sen. Tom Coburn, R-OK, told The Cable in an interview. 'It's full of people who know nothing about media or foreign policy. All they are doing is spending money and somebody's got to look into it.'" See also

Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs: Remarks At The 7th Annual Fulbright And Humphrey Alumni Conference - press release, Article Ant: "Anne Patterson, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan:


The late Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright, from my home state, a graduate and later President of the University of Arkansas, was the principal architect of the American educational exchange program that carries his name. Having studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar from 1925-28, he well understood the powerful impact on young imagination of a combined international exchange and scholarship experience. He wanted Americans and young people from around the world to benefit from a similar experience. Another extraordinary American politician, the late Senator Hubert Humphrey was widely respected and admired for his liberalism over a long career of service in American politics. After his death, the Humphrey Fellowship program was created to provide mid-career professionals from all around the world with an opportunity to take time off from their important work to study on an American university campus. Since the establishment of the Humphrey Fellowship, nearly 100 Pakistanis have been able to participate in this extraordinary program to refresh themselves, intellectually and professionally, for the important work they do in this country." Patterson image from

8 children from Iraq coming to Md. to learn about baseball - Baltimore Sun: "Eight children from Iraq and five of their coaches will come to Maryland to learn the ins and outs of baseball at Camden Yards and the Ripken Academy in Aberdeen next week, Ripken Baseball announced today. Ripken Baseball, a marketing company that represents former Oriole and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., is bringing the three boys and five girls -- ages 15 to 17 -- to Maryland, Washington and Virginia as part of a U.S. State Department visitors program. ... This is not the first time Ripken Baseball has worked with the State Department. Ripken was named a public diplomacy special envoy by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2007 and took baseball instruction trips to China in 2007 and to Nicaragua in 2008."

Liberia: Several Nigerians Arrested in US$2 Million Kidnapping Scheme - AllAfrica.com:

"The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) with the aid of securities at the American embassy, is said to have arrested an unspecified number of Nigerian nationals who allegedly attempted kidnapping an American for a whopping US$2m ransom. When contacted Thursday, the American embassy, through its Public Diplomacy Section issued this statement: '...In response to your inquiry, the Public Diplomacy Section of the US Embassy is saying the Embassy has no comments on the matter, and is advising the New Democrat to contact the Liberia National Police (LNP)'". Image from

South Africa - Budget Vote Overview by Thulas Nxesi MP, Chairperson of the IR & C Portfolio Committee, April 2010 - ISRIA: Nxesi: "The development and streamlining of public diplomacy strategies cannot be overemphasized. The Department must be more visible and less elitist in its conduct of South African international relations policy. The Minister must ensure the strengthening of democratic accountability of foreign policy nationally, and ensure there is a national dialogue internally on the policies South Africa pursues individually or jointly with the international community in pursuit of effective global governance."

Shashi Tharoor's New India: Foreign Policy, Citizen Engagement and New Media - Kamala Kanta, Orissadiary.com: "In India an informed citizen in their private capacity does not get any chance to contribute to public policy: the bureaucracy implements policy and the politicians approve it to be implemented. There is virtually no culture of public debate in any policymaking.

The government is reluctant to consult the academicians for policy formulation and feedback. Academia and bureaucracy share a high level of mutual indifference and distrust. It is a gross failure on the part of the Indian state that it has been unable to engage its citizens in public policy discourse. Interestingly, the foreign ministry has a division of public diplomacy that hardly provides any opportunity for the Indian public to play a role in policy consultation. When apathy of the educated for the political system seems to have got deeper and wider, Shashi Tharoor's [former Junior Minister in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India a former UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information and a PhD from Fletcher School Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA] frank opinion-sharing on twitter attracted many to discuss their views on politics and foreign and security policy." Image from

Engaging Generation Y in public policy - Baker Institute Blog: Insight and analysis from the fellows of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy: "The Baker Institute also offers competitive internship opportunities for Rice undergraduates interested in public policy. The Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program enables undergraduates to undertake substantive research, and many alumni of the program have later received Rhodes, Fulbright and Watson scholarships. In addition, for the second consecutive summer, the institute is sending four interns to Paris and Brussels, where they will be working with research fellows of the French Institute of International Relations on subjects as diverse as Asian studies and the European Union. The newest internship opportunity launched by the institute is a student-led initiative on public diplomacy and global policymaking in the 21st century. For a week in June, 10 Rice undergraduates will travel to the American University in Cairo and open a research-driven dialogue with AUC students on issues of mutual interest in Egypt and the United States. Key topics to be addressed include education, mass media, women's rights and cross-cultural communication."

Hugo Chávez: taking the battle to the Internet - Mariana Gonzalez Insua, Mountainrunner.us: "Hugo Chávez' tight grip on Venezuelan media threatens to reach new levels. The Venezuelan leader's recent announcement that every country needs to regulate the Internet and the launch of his 'guerrilla' communicational campaign have sparked fears that his control over the media might be extended to the online world. ... Mariana González Insua is a first year student in USC's Masters of Public Diplomacy program." Image from

The Niqab and Integration--The Doha Debates Chez Chiara - Chez Chiara: The purpose of this blog is to explore cross-cultural Saudi/non-Saudi relationships and their broader Arab-Muslim/Western contexts, as well as the background for improving understanding across these cultures: "Ahmed Ahmed Younis is the former National Director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in the US and will shortly take up the post of advisor to senior US government officials. ... He is a member of the US Muslim World Advisory Committee of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). He is also a regular speaker at government conferences, briefings and events covering topics such as terrorist financing, public diplomacy, identity/integration and issues affecting the Muslim American community."

Diplomacy & Social Media: A Good Fit? - Jarad Bernstein, Catchfire Media Blog: "As you may know, especially if you attended this week’s Social Media Club DSM luncheon, I formerly worked in public diplomacy for the Israeli government. Every now and then you might even see me send a tweet somewhat related to those days. Foreign policy continues to be a passion of mine, so I feel lucky to have served in that position. ... Now anybody with internet access and a d[e]sire can learn from the diplomatic newsmakers themselves, or those quite close to them. ... Israel’s U.S. ambassador, Michael Oren,

has conducted a number of YouTube interviews, in which he fields questions submitted via Twitter, while Israel’s consulate in New York conducted a news conference using Twitter during the recent war in Gaza. ... It will be interesting to see what kind of impact, if any, the social media-embracing diplomats make through their efforts. Will we see a steady stream of propaganda, or will there be real interactions that shift opinion and determine policy?" Image from

'Daily Show,' 'Fact Check' Bend Facts To Support Obama - Ken Blackwell, Big Journalism: ‎ "Jon Stewart made the case that George W. Bush had more 'czars' than Barack Obama, and even said that he got that from 'Fact Check.' Well, it looks like we need to fact-check Fact Check, because that citation—and thus Jon’s point—are just dead wrong. Going to that website, they list 35 czars for Bush, but only 32 for Barack Obama. ... For example, ... they list Karen Hughes as 'Public Diplomacy Czar.' But Hughes was the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Once again, President Obama has one of those too, Judith McHale. This would be Obama’s 34th czar. Once again, Fact Check failed to list her. Once again, The Daily Show staff failed to notice this flaw in its research."

A C B G D - The New Diplomacy 2010: reflective group blog by some of the students on The New Diplomacy module at London Metropolitan University

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Anti-Israel Propaganda Shown to Arabic Students? - Charles Johnson, Claremont Conservative:

Look at how the event is promoted: "Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict, 'Occupation 101' presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions." Would it surprise you to know that the film has been reviewed as basically propaganda against Israel? Image from

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