China: Battle for image

The worldwide media spotlight beamed on the Summer Olympics in Beijing and protests in Tibet, exposing image problems of the traditionally closed country. There are two Chinas, one created by the media for tourists and diplomats, and the other not intended for media reports and tourists.

China 1 is preparing for the Olympics. Dissidents are others who can tarnish the country's international image have been arrested in China 2. China 1 promised to improve its human rights record before the games, but the international community failed to ask what it plans to do in particular.

Human rights defenders believe in honesty of China's communists. Sergey Nikitin, representative of Amnesty International in the CIS, says that every country that hosted Olympics was forced to do some changes:

"The host country must meet a number of requirements concerning environment, the transportation of athletes and human rights. The Chinese government earnestly pledged to improve the human rights situation. It is another question that the Chinese Communist Party looks at human rights from a different perspective."


In practice, the government's approach is simple: Those unhappy about violations of their rights should disappear during the games or forever. China has 1,200 political prisoners. As many as 120,000 members of the outlawed Falun Gong movement are toiling in labor camps.

Pyotr Shuplyak, a history professor at Belarusian State University, draws parallels with the 1936 Olympics in Germany. "Obviously, the 1936 Olympics helped Germany improve its image. But the Third Reich at the time was not as bad as during World War II. In the run up to the Olympics, Germany's image had not been as bad at it was later."

The Soviet Union attempted to polish its image with the help of 1980 Olympic Games. Six months earlier it invaded Afghanistan. Yuliya Lyashkevich, an advertising expert, says, "If it were not for the invasion of Afghanistan, which badly damaged the Soviet Union's image, many people, who thought that bears walk along Moscow streets, would find an absolutely different country. Most people watch the contests regardless of what papers say about the country."


She says China may succeed to a certain point. "If it ensures quality broadcasts accompanied by excellent commercials, people will change their attitude to the words 'Made in China.' The attitude will not change radically, but the Olympics will capture international attention."


Human right defenders hope that international solidarity campaigns will help raise awareness of human rights abuses in that country.

Says Sergey Nikitin, "We do not think that the Olympics will overshadow the human rights issue in China. Quite the contrary, international human rights campaigns like this spring's act of solidarity with Tibet will help attract attention to political prisoners and the situation in Tibet."

Anyway, the Olympics are a good opportunity to alter the country's image. The Chinese authorities will seek to polish it, while human rights watchdogs will use the games to highlight human rights issues.