bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Zhengxu Wang

Daniel A. Bell

Unfavorable views of China have reached historic highs, especially in the West. Even China’s achievements – such as combating Covid-19 at home – are viewed negatively. What went wrong?
Some Western media outlets are prone to seeing China as a monolith, characterised by human rights abuses, ethnic division and oppression, and a repressive state. There is less willingness to recognise China’s laudable performance in improving people’s living standards, its vivid social life and tremendous internal diversity. It’s all bad and no good.
Part of the explanation is that Western politicians and thought leaders find it difficult to tolerate a China that is taking a non-Western development path. Leaders in the West have given up hope that China will eventually look like “us”. Therefore, the new priority is to find a way to check China’s rise, destabilise the country and undermine its credibility.
China, meanwhile, has taken a tough stance in response to accusations from Western governments and media. But it is facing a huge challenge in trying to present its point of view in the marketplace of opinion.


Still, it is possible to improve how China presents itself internationally. First, foreign audiences tend to find accounts of a given country more credible if they come from their own citizens, in a language and style that is familiar to them.
For example, a Chinese reader would find reports on American affairs by a Chinese more credible than similar reports by an American. Similarly, an American writing about China is likely to be more credible to a US audience than a Chinese reporter.
Second, foreigners must be allowed to see, and talk about, the weaknesses and shortcomings of various parts of the country. If a country insists on only telling other people about how great it is, it will simply turn them off. A “correct” view of a country cannot mean only highlighting the positive.
Third, people who are exposed to the internal diversity and complexity of a country are much more likely to develop affection for it, instead of relying on stereotypes and stigmatised views.


When a Chinese learns that, for example, there are huge differences between northern and southern India, she is less likely to make crude generalisations about the country. When an American learns of the differences between Chengdu and Chongqing, he is more likely to be sensitive to the nuances of the country, or at least less likely to fall prey to a view that Chinese citizens are a monolith who blindly obey a totalitarian government. 
Such exposure is the most effective way to resist stereotyping, stigmatisation and defamation in the international arena. It is also the most effective way to mitigate the impacts of finger-pointing and megaphone diplomacy in international relations.
Amid China-India tensions, Bollywood and cinema can help bridge divides
Given this, China should welcome more foreigners to work and live in the country, and foreign journalists to report from China.
Their reports and accounts will not only be received as more reliable and trustworthy than those by the Chinese government or the Chinese media, foreign reporters can explore various aspects of China with a curiosity that would make the country more appealing to the reader.
Things that are taken for granted by a Chinese may be highly interesting to a non-Chinese person living, working, or travelling in China, who can take their accounts to Western readers or viewers.


Peter Hessler, an author who also teaches at Chengdu’s Sichuan University, is a good example. His granular writing on various aspects of life in China, including accounts from Chengdu during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown, is both critical and sympathetic, and well received by Western readers.
His work is published in highly influential outlets, such as The New Yorker. If his writing does not win over Western readers, at least it diminishes the effectiveness of those who try to demonise China or attack it outright.
Reporters from the international media, including Western media, should be encouraged to actively report on China. Their coverage will provide Western audiences with a more detailed and diverse picture of the country.
Lesson from Alaska: both US and Chinese diplomacy need a rethink
Keith Bradsher, The New York Times’ Shanghai bureau chief, shows that balanced reports of China can reach Western audiences, despite the current international travel restrictions and tensions between the US and Chinese governments.
Informal online reports are equally helpful. The Barretts, a British son and father team, are a good example. As they travel and visit different parts of China, they make insightful and humorous videos and post them online. Hundreds of thousands of international viewers enjoy their representation of the many details that characterise the “real” China.
China is diverse and vibrant, whatever its shortcomings. One of the best ways to show that is to let journalists and people from abroad be the bridges and messengers.
Zhengxu Wang is a professor at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University. Daniel A. Bell is dean of the School of Political Science and Public Administration at Shandong University (Qingdao)


To improve China’s image globally, welcome foreigners and let them be bridges to the West

Chinese hostesses at Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the opening session of the National People’s Congress in March 2018. People who are exposed to the complexity of a country are more likely to develop affection for it, instead of relying on stereotypes. Photo: AFP 

Opinion

Comment

News

China

Diplomacy

Knowledge

US-China Relations

Culture


China should welcome foreigners, including Western journalists, to live and work in the country and not bristle at discussion of its shortcomings
International media reports that provide a detailed and diverse view of China will be better received abroad than Chinese government statements    



China should welcome foreigners, including Western journalists, to live and work in the country. International media reports that provide a diverse view of China will be better received abroad than Chinese government statements.


US-China relations

China’s soft power

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion | To improve China’s image globally, welcome foreigners and let them be bridges to the West

China should welcome foreigners, including Western journalists, to live and work in the country and not bristle at discussion of its shortcomings International media reports that provide a detailed and diverse view of China will be better received abroad than Chinese government statements

China should welcome foreigners, including Western journalists, to live and work in the country and not bristle at discussion of its shortcomings

International media reports that provide a detailed and diverse view of China will be better received abroad than Chinese government statements