Celebrities line up to help nation's image campaign
Hong Kong property tycoon Li Ka-shing is among 50 celebrities who will appear in a state-sponsored image campaign for China expected to be launched overseas next month ahead of National Day on October 1.
Other celebrities in the 30-second advert to be aired on major Western television channels include basketball star Yao Ming, astronaut Yang Liwei, Hong Kong film director John Woo Yu-sum, Olympic gold medalist Guo Jingjing and pianist Lang Lang .
It is extremely rare for Li, who ranks 22nd on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest people, to appear in a television advertisement.
'We not only want these outstanding Chinese people to show up in the same advertisement, but in the same shot, the official Guangming Daily website quoted Zhu Youguang , the project supervisor, as saying.
'You cannot imagine the impact it will have for the viewers when they see Li Ka-shing, Ma Yun [Alibaba founder], Li Yanhong [Baidu founder] and Ding Lei [NetEase founder] stand shoulder by shoulder in the same shot.'
In addition to the advertisement featuring 50 successful Chinese people, the massive publicity campaign also includes a 15-minute feature film to present the nation's accomplishments in politics, economics, society, culture, science and research, education, the environment and ethnic minority relations.
The advert will be aired on major TV channels including CNN and BBC. The film will be shown in events hosted by Chinese embassies across the world. Both will be in English.
The State Council Information Office said the film aims to promote a national image of 'prosperity, democracy, civilisation, openness, peace and harmony'.
Beijing has been stepping up its soft power campaign since the 2008 Olympics, investing on the expansion of Confucius Institutes and launching official TV stations overseas, with millions spent on advertising, according to mainland media.
In November, China launched a 'Made in China' campaign that included a 30-second advertisement on CNN and the BBC, stressing co-operation between Chinese companies and overseas partners in producing high-quality products.
Zhu, of the advertising firm Shanghai Lowe & Partners, told state media the campaign had been in preparation for more than six months.
A BBC poll taken in April indicated China's image had dipped in the past two years. The making of the advert and film signals the nation's determination to enhance its image and fight for a say on the global stage.
'The time for national public relations has arrived,' said Li Weining , a researcher at the Communication University of China in Beijing. International relations professor Shi Yinhong at People's University said: 'The project is ... intended to balance the one-sided Western reports about China.'
He Hui, a professor at the Communication University's School of Advertising, said the use of modern communication methods to make an advert was an effective way for the country to build its image.
