Art and culture are often treated as lesser subjects in the field of foreign policy, sidelined such that the academics and policy workers can focus on hard power—the often aggressive or coercive use of military and economic force to influence the behavior of other states or political bodies. By focusing so heavily on the elements of hard power, however, we lose something essential. Culture binds societies together, art can spur social change, and globalization has allowed artists and designers around the world to collaborate and share experiences on an interpersonal level. 

https://chargedaffairs.org/the-art-of-foreign-policy-culture-drives-foreign-affairs/