Chinese diplomats change style

Public relations can sometimes make a world of difference, and more so in the case of PR-deficient China. Take the case of the popular image of China`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the public profile of its foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing.

Just a couple of years ago, the ministry was ridiculed as a vehicle of weakness and subservience. On popular Web sites and forums across the country, ordinary Chinese voiced vehement criticisms against the Ministry for being weak in the face of foreign hostilities. These include the perceived weakness by Beijing in taking a stronger stand on issues ranging from NATO`s bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade in 1999 to the periodic sale of weapons by the United States to Taiwan.

So much so that among packages sent to the ministry by ordinary Chinese are bottles of calcium tablets. The less-than-subtle insinuation is that Foreign Ministry officials are too soft and possess no backbone, and therefore need to consume such fortifying tablets to better portray and reflect China`s national interests.

As for Li Zhaoxing, ordinary Chinese claimed that the former Chinese ambassador to the United States did not possess the right "public image" as the country`s most visible foreign ministry official. The Shandong native is said to be "disagreeably ugly" and to "possess the looks of a jian chen", or a treacherous official.

But recently, much seems to have changed, if not in substance, then certainly in style.

In an attempt to move away from its elitist and unapproachable image, the ministry has recently organized a series of what it termed "open houses" at its premises in downtown Beijing, targeting people from all walks of life.

Such "open houses", according to Counselor Song Ronghua at the ministry`s Information Department, are attempts in allowing ordinary Chinese a glimpse into the working of the ministry. So far, more than 2,000 people from over 40 professions countrywide are said to have visited the ministry, and it is likely that more will follow suit.

Indeed, if Chinese reports are to be believed, during one such session on Aug. 14, Li and other senior foreign ministry officials, including Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Shen Guofang, were "mobbed as if they were famous movie stars". Chinese Foreign Minister Li had also reportedly swayed and danced to the tunes of African music.

While the numbers of those who had visited the ministry are modest, the "open houses" are still symbolic as they allow ordinary Chinese the opportunity to visit government offices. More importantly, such visits allow the Chinese bureaucracy to portray an image that is more approachable, as well as give a more "human" face to what is otherwise a faceless bureaucracy.

And this is no mean feat, given China`s traditionalistic feudal society. The sessions meant that no longer are such government offices impregnable fortresses that are out-of-bounds to ordinary folks, never mind that the impact which ordinary people have on Chinese foreign policy initiatives is minimal, if not non-existent.

But beyond promoting a better understanding, it is clear that efforts by the Chinese foreign ministry in portraying a more positive public image are necessary, given the increased interactions between China and the rest of the world. With more Chinese traveling overseas, whether for travel, studies or for work, China`s foreign missions have been stretched in a way that was unimaginable merely a decade ago. Witness the massive involvement of Chinese officials in incidents involving Chinese citizens, ranging from the fire in a university hostel in Moscow in November 2003 that had claimed the lives of several Chinese students, to the kidnappings of Chinese hostages in Iraq last year and earlier this year.

According to Chinese analyst Jin Canrong from Renmin University, the foreign ministry has expanded its traditional role of diplomacy and safeguarding its national interests to include the protection and safeguarding of the interests of its overseas citizens. This, professor Jin said, meant that the ministry has become more progressive and transparent, and has come to the realization that the country`s foreign policy successes cannot be divorced from the views, opinions and sentiments of its people.

Of course, this is not to say that such public relations moves will silence critics who are adamant that China should play a bigger role commensurate with its national strength, or those who feel that China has not flexed enough of its muscle on the international stage. And it is possible that those who have sent calcium tablets to the ministry will continue to do so.

But what is worth bearing in mind is that China is quick to realize the importance of public relations in building a more positive domestic and in time to come, international image. The country is in need of an image makeover, and what better way to begin this makeover than through its most visible and arguably most high profile ministry?

What China should do next is to have its voice heard in a slick, suave, and polished manner within the international community. In light of the negativity surrounding China, Beijing needs to project a more "human" face on the global stage. By creating better public relations and goodwill, not only can China win friends, gain influence and better achieve it national objectives, it can also blunt the edges of the "China threat" sword - or ameliorate the feelings of those who feel that China will become a threat as the country gains further ascendancy.

The writer, a Singaporean student at Yonsei University Graduate School of Interna-tional Studies, was a journalist based in Beijing and Hong Kong for several years. - Ed.

By Maria Siow