Olympics gives foreigners positive image of China

By Nie Ligao (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-11-18 17:16

The more foreigners know about China and visit the country, the higher positive image it gets, but not its people, according to a recent survey released at the 6th Asia Communication and Media Forum in the Communication University of China (CUC) last Saturday.

Speakers attend the 6th Asia Communication and Media Forum in the Communication University of China in Beijing, November 15, 2008. [Chinadaily.com.cn]

The survey was conducted by a team led by CUC professor Huixin Ke in cooperation with CSM Media Research and Survey Sampling International. The team carried out Internet and face-to-face interviews before, during and after the Beijing Olympics.

Interviewees were randomly chosen from the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore to take part in this study on the correlation between the Beijing Olympics and China's image including the images of the country, the Chinese people and the capital.

Ten percent more respondents said they visited China because of the Beijing Olympics, according to the two online polls performed before and after the Olympics.

And the Games inspired many more overseas students to broaden their horizons.

"Thirty percent more students in Harvard apply for Chinese courses after the Beijing Olympics than that in 2007," said Ashley Esarey with the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University during the forum.

Younger and wealthier interviewees give the image of China higher marks, but lower scores for the Chinese people. And even Singapore, a nation with close cultural bonds with China, holds higher attitudes towards image of China but a lower assessment of Chinese people than that of the UK and the US, professor Ke explained.

However, the statistics also point out films with Chinese elements, the Beijing Olympic Games and Chinese products are the top three communication channels which have the strongest relationship with China's cultural image, the image of Beijing and China's economic image respectively.

Media outside of China, Chinese products, Chinese cities or Chinatown restaurants, and films with Chinese elements rank the top of the list of how foreigners to get access to China.

But of all the channels to become familiar with China, Chinese media was at the bottom of the list, even though the credibility of Chinese media improved during the Olympics.

The follow-up in-depth interviews explain that unbalanced reports in the Chinese media result in the lack of credibility, and professor Ke suggested "we should adopt an easier media environment and utilize overseas media more to serve our national image."

Held since 2003, the forum held by CUC attracted officials, scholars and journalists from various countries to exchange their opinions and studies on the topic of China's image and the Beijing Olympics.