As I see it | Beijing Winter Olympics: China doesn’t need foreigners promoting its own culture at the Games
- Chinese state media got foreign athletes and dignitaries to speak Mandarin on camera and try activities such as Chinese calligraphy and dumpling-making
- Given China’s increasing eagerness to prove its language and culture are of global importance, the stunt gives the impression of an inferiority complex or even misplaced nationalism
The Beijing Winter Olympics officially began today, with the Chinese media awash with Lunar New Year greetings from foreign dignitaries and athletes.
State media featured Ecuadorean president Guillermo Lasso, athletes from Canada, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States wishing Chinese nationals a happy and prosperous new year, in Mandarin.
Other athletes were seen trying their hands at Chinese calligraphy and making jiaozi, or Chinese dumplings – a traditional dish often served during the festive season.
Firstly, kudos on them for being a good sport. I am all for cross-cultural participation and appreciation, and engaging in the understanding of all things Chinese.
But these expressions of linguistic and cultural enthusiasm would be more meaningful if they were spontaneous and unprompted, rather than orchestrated for the cameras.
For China, using foreigners to promote its soft power seems to have become a ritual. As the country’s influence grows, the dominant narrative as conveyed in popular media in recent years is that Chinese culture will also become more appealing to people around the world.
The narrative is not inaccurate, as many foreigners have indeed been drawn to learn Mandarin and aspects of Chinese traditions to better understand and do business with China.