Enjoying the 'most exciting place in the world'

On the other hand, China often presents itself to the world in a way that Westerners cannot comprehend.

As an expert in cross-cultural communications and policy diplomacy, Michie says it's more urgent than ever that China is correctly interpreted by other countries, especially when they believe that China is buying up the world.

"The communication problem China faces is not in its policies. The policies are there, if you read the 18th Congress Report," says Michie.

"There are areas of policy covering communication that stress things like paying attention to public diplomacy, and developing communication systems that match the world's best."

"I think the central government knows what needs to be done. The challenge is in finding ways of tranlating these policies into practical solutions and getting these solutions actually translated into action."

He cites the example of Hanban, the Confucius Institute headquarters, which is a successful public diplomacy story. It takes Chinese culture and language to the rest of the world and builds a network of dialogue.

"But there need to be many more of such solutions," Michie says. "And it is very important for private businesses to pick this up."