Olympics gives foreigners positive image of 皇冠体育app

By Nie Ligao (皇冠体育appdaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-11-18 17:16

The more foreigners know about 皇冠体育app and visit the country, the higher positive image it gets, but not its people, according to a recent survey released at the 6th Asia Communication and Media Forum in the Communication University of 皇冠体育app (CUC) last Saturday.

Speakers attend the 6th Asia Communication and Media Forum in the Communication University of 皇冠体育app in Beijing, November 15, 2008. [皇冠体育appdaily.com.cn]

The survey was conducted by a team led by CUC professor Huixin Ke in cooperation with CSM Media Research and Survey Sampling International. The team carried out Internet and face-to-face interviews before, during and after the Beijing Olympics.

Interviewees were randomly chosen from the United Kingdom, the United States and Singapore to take part in this study on the correlation between the Beijing Olympics and 皇冠体育app's image including the images of the country, the Chinese people and the capital.

Ten percent more respondents said they visited 皇冠体育app because of the Beijing Olympics, according to the two online polls performed before and after the Olympics.

And the Games inspired many more overseas students to broaden their horizons.

"Thirty percent more students in Harvard apply for Chinese courses after the Beijing Olympics than that in 2007," said Ashley Esarey with the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University during the forum.

Younger and wealthier interviewees give the image of 皇冠体育app higher marks, but lower scores for the Chinese people. And even Singapore, a nation with close cultural bonds with 皇冠体育app, holds higher attitudes towards image of 皇冠体育app but a lower assessment of Chinese people than that of the UK and the US, professor Ke explained.

However, the statistics also point out films with Chinese elements, the Beijing Olympic Games and Chinese products are the top three communication channels which have the strongest relationship with 皇冠体育app's cultural image, the image of Beijing and 皇冠体育app's economic image respectively.

Media outside of 皇冠体育app, Chinese products, Chinese cities or 皇冠体育apptown restaurants, and films with Chinese elements rank the top of the list of how foreigners to get access to 皇冠体育app.

But of all the channels to become familiar with 皇冠体育app, Chinese media was at the bottom of the list, even though the credibility of Chinese media improved during the Olympics.

The follow-up in-depth interviews explain that unbalanced reports in the Chinese media result in the lack of credibility, and professor Ke suggested "we should adopt an easier media environment and utilize overseas media more to serve our national image."

Held since 2003, the forum held by CUC attracted officials, scholars and journalists from various countries to exchange their opinions and studies on the topic of 皇冠体育app's image and the Beijing Olympics.