Opinion: Media-savvy Chinese Charm Offensive
As Chinese President Hu Jintao visits Washington, the Chinese government has launched an advertising campaign conducted with a commercial on CNN and shown on six giant screens across New York, Times Square.
And the media reaction to the U.S.? A blogger from Wall Street Journal called "loss of contact with the American public," and quoted a U.S. official that the commercial "was more frightening than friendly."
Passersby can not miss the video, it works 300 times a day - which is 8,400 times a year, and Valentine's Day. Typical, perhaps, if the ad was Christian Dior, Nike, but it is certainly a novelty to see a political campaign ad in a foreign country, no matter how content soft, blitz in the heart of capitalism. Especially when this is the Chinese government - and a Communist.
What this shows the huge gap between the political culture in China and the United States, shaping the way both countries view each other and how they are identified.
CNN commercial symbol of change, changing the ways of diplomacy and the "great country" policy. Americans sense subtle but clear message that China is an intelligent and media-savvy as the generation Obama, quickly learning the American way is to fight the war "soft".
Take the eye of the charm offensive American aid should not change the political perception of most Americans about China right now, but a trickle to gradually reduce the gap in perception and psychological, which is probably in the long term.
Opinion polls show that. Shanghai Jiaotong University image of the project has recently completed a survey on the perception of the U.S. China, and the results provide a new perspective on the subject.
Compared with Japan, India and Russia, China expected to last place when respondents were asked which countries they have positive feelings. However, with a total score of 47.97%, China is estimated at only 2% less than Russia (50.2%) - almost negligible considering the margin of error. Similar surveys Pew Foundation during the past five years show a gradual upward trend in positive feelings among Americans.
survey showed that 55% of Americans believe in Shanghai that China "is a political system that serves the needs of the population", and 61% agreed that China has had an influence in world politics. More than three-quarters of Americans (77%) think the influence will grow over the next 10 years. But an overwhelming majority - 80% - of Americans believe that China will "hold the political rights of citizens."
So why such a difference in the politics of China? The study showed a marked difference in political values and beliefs: 87.9% of Americans believe that freedom of expression is essential for criticizing government wrongdoing, 46.2% agreed that individual interests must be subordinated to collective interests, while 52.6% disagree. But when Americans are asked for "the sake of national interests, the interests of individual victims," the scale is reversed: 53.4% agree and 45.4% disapprove.
Patriotism is more pronounced when it comes to national interests. While most Americans (71.8%) consider China as an ally or neutral, a large majority (62.7%) believe that the Obama administration is not strict enough in economic negotiations with China and 78% think that the U.S. president will meet with the Dalai Lama, although these meetings undermine Sino-US relations. Similarly, 58% of Americans think the U.S. should sell weapons to Taiwan, although that would only worsen relations between the U.S. and China.
When it comes to the so-called "basic values" and national interests, Americans will not move. In today's world, values and interests are sifted through pictures, stories and reviews, and misunderstanding and demonization can occur even when the U.S. media about China and Chinese media to cover the United States USA
The survey asked Americans to the identity of the source through which more news from China. Rating: TV (39.8%), newspapers (31.5%), Internet (23.1%) and radio (17.25%).
In the second survey, Shanghai Jiaotong University in China, foreign correspondents, journalists, television 45.7% complained about the Chinese government to limit their reporting.
Broadcast live on television is the most direct, immediate way to make the national image of China, and trade shows awareness of the role of the Chinese government.
It is a long way to change the view of the spectators, not to mention the ideas that have been made for years, but China's efforts to reach Americans through the American media (albeit with paying for ads) should not be regarded as mere propaganda.