“International Public Relations Activities of the Chinese Government”

Communication is very necessary to bridge understanding and minimize the undesirable actions of the public. It is also important to properly respond to the public’s demands as the government. This explains that public relations is very useful in building a dynamic society that is beneficial to citizens. In this regard, the Chinese government has implemented major public relations activities in recent years. Here the means of communication in China requires close attention because it is complex and maintaining a good balance is a serious challenge.

First, the Chinese government’s Public Affairs Section (PSA) is responsible for the U.S. government’s official activities in China. The PAS serves as a liaison office for the U.S. Embassy in China. With the help of its Information Section, it manages all public relations activities toward the embassy, the U.S. government, and the U.S. rules and regulations concerning China. On the other hand, theBeijing American Centre provides support for the U.S. government by providing information on China’s history, society, government, and education.

Second, to better understand the Chinese government’s public relations activities, there is a need to be aware of its communication strategies for the public and media. The Chinese government
has “marketized” the Chinese media through the Chinese Communist Party’s official media outlets such as the Xinhua News Agency and the People’s Daily. The implementation of this strategy enables the Chinese media to take part in China’s policymaking. Through this marketization, the media have the power to take necessary action to deliver important news to the public. In addition, the Chinese government takes necessary steps to completely remove any hindrances in the media and foster a mutually beneficial relationship between the two parties. This marketization of partnership with the public provides the Chinese media an opportunity to appropriately publicize reports in a manner that protects the relationship between the Chinese government and foreign investors.

Third, the Chinese government views public relations as “globalutionaries.” According to this perspective, the global media and international non-government organizations contribute to public relations activities. Through the help of public relations professionals, global public relationsefforts are seen to promote global cooperation and build rapport with activist groups and non-government organizations. Such efforts are also expected to foster good governance in China as well as its healthy competition with other countries.

For the reasons mentioned above, it is important to systematically apply public relations activities in China. The Chinese government has develop an effective action plan, and the public needs to clearly understand the purpose of any such plan. China’s public relations activities may have some limitations, but they can be addressed through effective strategies.

 

Judy Xia