Stories told the Western way
Updated: 2016-04-29 07:27
(China Daily)
|
||||||||
The government's decision to turn to Western public relations companies to tell "China stories" has drawn much attention both at home and abroad. The shift to outsourcing its soft power in this way marks an eye-catching change.
It is reported that five international PR companies have now offered "China promotion" programs to the Information Office of the State Council, China's Cabinet.
While any decision is yet to be made and the actual effects of the new form remain unknown, such an approach should still be applauded.
There do exist complicated factors behind the foreign media's failure to cover China in an objective way, but this is also to a large extent related to the rigid, stereotyped manner officially used by the government. The different publicity perspectives used for domestic and foreign readers often leave an overseas impression of "hypocrisy".
Besides, the promotion of China's image in other countries has been excessively focused on local governments and elite circles in the past, while ignoring ordinary people, causing polarized impressions of China among the official and non-official circles in other countries. Any regime changes in foreign countries may also cause inconsistency in those countries' attitudes toward China.
The past publicity approach is far from enough to present foreign audiences with a genuine picture of China today after the rapid economic and social changes that have taken place since the launch of reform and opening-up.
While making huge efforts to improve its image to foreign countries at the official level, efforts to open the "last mile" of road to improve its image overseas on the individual level is also necessary. Indeed, cooperation with Western public relations companies in itself is a new "China story".
--IFENG.COM
- Africans must hear the real China story
- A Western diplomat's 'phenomenal' China story
- French woman tells her China story with photos
- Official urges better telling of China story
- My China Story: Guangzhou, the China I saw
- My China Story
- Musicians impress New Yorkers with 'China Story'
- Foreigners: My China story
- DPRK's Musudan missile launch appears to have failed
- No one can be impeached for being unpopular: Rousseff
- Cruz teams up with Fiorina against Trump in GOP race
- Russia launches rocket from newly-built Vostochny Cosmodrome
- Iraqi parliament approves partial cabinet reshuffle
- S. Korea, US sign space cooperation agreement
- Top 10 dazzling new car models at Beijing auto show
- London's Big Ben to fall silent for urgent repairs
- Rare snub-nosed monkeys at Beijing Zoo
- Human-like robots say 'hi' to President Xi
- Animals turn savvy earners from entertainers
- Slackline walker conquers Tiger Jumping Gorge
- Top 6 domestic new-energy vehicles at Beijing auto show
- 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster marked
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Liang avoids jail in shooting death
China's finance minister addresses ratings downgrade
Duke alumni visit Chinese Embassy
Marriott unlikely to top Anbang offer for Starwood: Observers
Chinese biopharma debuts on Nasdaq
What ends Jeb Bush's White House hopes
Investigation for Nicolas's campaign
Will US-ASEAN meeting be good for region?
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |