Peking University. Beijing. Sep 29, 2009: How to create an authentic and appealing image of China? How to make the voice of Chinese media heard across the world? How can overseas Chinese establish an image of the country and demonstrate the national identity more effectively? The "Weiming Lecture Hall-Face to Face with Famous Journalists, Hosts and Specialists" cultural forum, with "Nation","Image" and "Media" as keywords, was held on the afternoon of September 27. People from the academia, government and major domestic media joined the forum, sharing their latest research findings and practical experiences.
Yang He, vice-secretary of CPC PKU Committee, delivered the opening address at the forum. He expressed his appreciation of the forum's opening at this special moment when China was approaching her 60th birthday. He also addressed the significance of discussing the future of the nation from perspectives of "Nation", "Image" and "Media". He pointed out the mission of the media to foster a better understanding of China for the rest of the world and expressed his confidence that the meeting would help promote this mission.
Professor Yu Hong from Peking University emphasized the importance of understanding the essence of mass communication, which has its own laws, approaches and language. She argued that only by transforming propaganda to communication, integrating propaganda into communication and employing the methods and language of communication in the image building of our country, can we gain our voice in the global communication. She also casted her doubts on the popular view "the more ethnical, the more global" by illustrating facts that the cultural exchange would work better to be started with similarities of different cultures rather than differences.
Besides, Professor Liu Xu from China Media University shared his findings of the research on "Chinese Media Overseas and the Soft Power of China". And Professor Guan Shijie elucidated the relations between intercultural communication and the image of the nation.
Moreover, special guests, Ms FangLi Bangqin and Mr Xu Songhua expressed their views from the perspective of "Overseas Chinese and Image of China Shaping". FangLi, founder of Asian Week and The Independent News, and president of the board of Pan-Asian Investment Group Limited, viewed every overseas Chinese as a representative for China abroad and their behaviors and performance formed the image of China. On the other hand, the overseas Chinese also rely on the strength of China. And Mr Xu illustrated how overseas Chinese in Spain had contributed to building the reputation of China through their hardwork and kindness.
The forum is an extended program of "Weiming Lecture Hall-Face to Face with Famous Journalists, Hosts and Specialists", which has been held for 4 years by Television Research Center of Peking University and is aimed at promoting the understanding of top issues of society, culture, art or media by providing a platform for academics, business people and celebrities in media to gather together, have open discussions, exchange ideas and inspire fresh insights.
Prof. Yu Hong and Host Jing Yidan
Translated by: HAN Yafei
Edited by: Seren
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
