Senior US lawmaker calls for more public diplomacy efforts

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration should improve its public diplomacy work as the United States is lagging behind China in building up its "soft power", a Senate report said on Tuesday.

The report, which was requested by Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, found that with its growing economic power, Beijing is devoting more resources than Washington to promoting people-to-people exchanges around the world and paying more attention to enhancing mutual understanding.

Since the two countries have the "most complex bilateral relationship, the US needs a greater focus on China to enhance its national and economic security and improve its ability to compete with China in overseas markets", Lugar said in the statement.