The problem with china is Packaging. We all know very well china's
capabilities in science and technology in this modern era. We are all
in agreement with the fact that china has been bullied for far too long.
A hard approach of countering USA mainstream media, is not a good way
to fight back, just as an overly meek approach isn't good.
China
need to re-brand itself. It needs a witty (a bit whacky would be
ideal) spokesman/men/women, well versed in Western ways of
communicating, to deliver the above simple subtle message in a casual
nuanced way that appeals to Western audiences.
China should buy
advertising space to bombard the world with its new image. That is to
say a slow, calculated and appealing repackaging of its Just causes,
with historical basis but yet not descending into presenting boring
b&w war clips which Western audiences are tired of. The West
dislike things they can't understand, and speaking chinese with
subtitles, is not gonna win hearts. China need to reinvent its image to
the world and subtlely seek world support from.common folks. If you hv
seen Taliban spokesman Abdul Q Balkhi you will be amazed. He speaks
perfect Queen's English and he has charisma. This kind of PR over a
period of years, not one-off, is crucial to rebranding China to educate
the 'savages' of the West. It is better than a hard approach
tit-for-tat which achieves nothing but escalates and prolong enmities,
and add fuel to the arsenal of extreme politicians of the savage West.
Anonymous
PS. Redbean's comment.
Agree that repackaging is needed and that is what China is doing. China is not taking it down and fighting back in many ways across every field. China is not relying only on Wolf Warrior policy alone.
The disadvantage of China is language. Many countries were colonies of the West and the subjects were educated in English and mainly reading English and western media, and have been bombarded with history written by the West and their biased reporting for centuries. Their mindset and thinking have been programmed for decades and centuries without them knowing what is right or wrong, what is good for them or good for the colonial powers.
It would be good if China could produce more English media to reach out to the English readers all over the world. And China is doing it with many platforms, CGTN, CNBC, Chinese Daily, Global Times, Different Frames the World, Vision of China VOC, Eyes of Real China, Long Xin, China QuickTake, The Changing China, China Talking, etc etc.
These new platforms would take time to win followers. It is a process in the making.
The original author doesn't mean just language translation to english.
ReplyDeleteRepackaging means more of style & attitude. The current style of china communication is either too teenager (emotional, hormonal, kiam pah style (like Donald Trump)) or too serious/boring (like judge presiding over murder trial).
They need more sophistication in their communication.
The specific language is immaterial. Get the style & attitude right and world audiences will be more receptive even if in mandarin or tagalog.
Not easy. It takes time. Current style is mostly a literal translation from Chinese scripts.
ReplyDeleteThey need native speakers or at least those Chinese that were educated in the West and can speak English like the West in a style that the West/English educated are comfortable and familiar with.
I too find them quite uncomfortable to follow with phrases and expression that were basically Chinese and sounding a bit queer.
Quite queer that the Folks that dislike the Evil Whites are telling China to behave like the Whites.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, China does not need any guidance from outsiders, even Foreign Oversea Chinese. Btw, almost all Migrant Oversea Chinese are converted to the Cultures of their domiciles, almost all are bananas from Second Generation Onwards. Many are not even able to use their Mother Tongues. Worse, most embrace religions that do not connect with the Chinese Traditional Ancestor Worship which is not a religious matter. Ancestor Worship is for memory of ones' ancestors; kin and kith of ones' earlier and older generations, not make-believed sky fairy and or imaginery.
How many here have read read the Analect/伦理, Daodejin/道德经, the Three State/三国演义, the Red Chamber/红楼梦 and 水浒传/the Water Margin in the Modern Chinese Language version, not to mention the Originals in 文言文/Classical Chinese??
With
the Advent of lnternet, those interested in Chinese Culture can access the Chinese Websites to read up more.cheers