Posted on 06/30/2002 8:32:36 AM PDT by maui_hawaii
The US-China Security Review Commission today released an in-depth, first of its kind study by researchers in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland on Chinese newspaper reporting about the U.S. This report, commissioned by the USCC in response to a request by the U.S. Congress to measure and assess Chinese perceptions of the U.S, found divergent attitudes in the Chinese press towards the U.S. on a variety of issues – ranging from an overwhelmingly positive tone on issues relating to economic and trade relations with the U.S. to a consistently negative coverage of U.S. foreign policy.
The study covered over 3100 articles written over a five-month period in six national and regional newspapers. The time span of the study included April 2001 (covering the EP-3 reconnaissance plane incident), September 2001 (9/11 and the aftermath), and February-April 2002 (including President George W. Bush’s visit to China).
"The USCC commissioned this independent study by the University of Maryland to help Congress understand Chinese perceptions of the U.S. through the lens of their domestic news media," said Richard D’Amato, Chairman of the Commission. "This report illustrates how Chinese press coverage of the U.S. appears to mirror the official government approach to the overall relationship, where trade and investment, viewed very positively, are an overarching concern which trump nearly all other issues. It also shows a sharp divergence in tone regarding U.S. foreign policy, differing significantly from general and economic reporting, by generally portraying U.S. foreign policy negatively as ‘hegemonic’ and ‘unilateralist.’"
The President Jiang himself warned against competing and fighting with the Americans...
If the mainstream press bashes the US all the time they will become unpopular and lose credibility. They have to at least appear balanced and on the moral high ground...otherwise they won't be able to claim "China is such a peaceful country" all the time. If they were to bash all the time, not nearly as many people would be upset about things like the EP3. After a while, no one would take them seriously, and probably think of them as enept, especially with all that money on the line...
Almost 25% of China's exports go to the US...
There are a lot of people who either a) like the USA; or b) don't like the CCP, or the way things were traditionally done under them...
In other words to blanket out and say everyone doesn't like the US would be wrong.
However, as for press coverage, I hope they don't just gloss it over and say 'its balanced'...
Has anyone ever studied Chinese literature? or especially Chinese opera? If not, here is what to look up... find out what the colors painted on the faces of the opera characters represent...
What you will find out is that in Chinese literature, it is unlike American literature. Here we have Batman vs. The Joker... "good vs. evil"...
In Chinese writing though, even the most vile of sinners would be portrayed doing some good things...in other words, no one is entirely bad...everyone has a little good and a little bad characteristics...
That is why the opera singers in Chinese opera have a mixture of white, red, blue, black, etc...the dominant color represents their dominant characteristic...but none of the face paintings are solidly one color...
I hope they dive in a little deeper. Face value is not what it is all about. The media is a, and probably the, main tool for the party to stay in power.
This is the trap most Americans fall into...they tend to take face value as the whole 9 yards...
I posted the link to the original for all to see...
This was a press release... the original was 130 pages long I think...
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