Torch Chaos: China's PR Machine Working Overtime

BEIJING, April 9, 2008— -- In less than a month, the Olympic torch is scheduled to begin its ascent up Mount Everest from the Tibet side.

Despite mounting protests from pro-Tibet groups calling for China and the International Olympic Committee to cancel this leg of the trip, it remains on the schedule.

China is standing firm. The governor for the Tibetan Autonomous Region told reporters in Beijing today, anyone attempting to disrupt the torch's journey on his watch "will be dealt with severely."

While China may not be able to deal with the the many pro-Tibet protesters cropping up on the torch's route around the world, it is attempting to control the People's Republic's perception of them.

The Chinese public relations machine is working overtime these days, trying to protect its people from foreign reporting of the protests that have dogged the Olympic torch relay from day one.

China's state-run media almost completely control citizens' access to information. And while the newscasts have reported the protests in Paris and London, the story line reads like nationalist propaganda.

When reports came out that the torch had been extinguished during the Paris relay amid security concerns, the Foreign Ministry denied it both in the Chinese media and to foreign reporters. This denial was widely posted in domestic newspapers and on Web sites.

"The reports by the foreign media are false in claiming the Olympic torch was forced to be extinguished during its relay in Paris," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. "To protect the security and dignity of the torch under the circumstances there, the modes of relay were temporarily changed. The torch relay in Paris has now safely completed as scheduled."

While CCTV, the only national television network in China, shows the video of the protests in London and Paris, the narrative is in stark contrast to the way it was reported by Western media.

Chinese television anchors describe the protesters as a "small number of Tibetan separatists" trying to disrupt the glory of the holy Olympic flame.

Information in Chinese media has been helping to create a nationalistic sentiment since the riots in Tibet last month. State media toe the government line -- that the Dalai Lama is a criminal and liar who is instigating the global demonstrations.

Chinese government spokespeople, such as Jiang, continue to rail against the Dalai Lama, despite the fact that most of the world views the Nobel Peace Prize winner with reverence.

The Chinese government's problems with foreign media are not new.

CNN International and BBC News are the only two foreign news channels that are accessible in Beijing (and by a very small number of people). Whenever they mention something sensitive or report something the government doesn't like, the signal goes to black.

China feels that the foreign media along with the Dalai Lama and human rights groups are trying to tarnish China's image and sabotage the Olympics. Facts and pictures that most of the world sees are commonly censored by the government.

This sort of spin is the reason the Chinese government is often perceived to have a credibility problem outside of China.

But the overwhelming majority of Chinese here don't see it that way because most only have access to state-run newspapers and television and consequently see one side of things. They take the party line and also blame the Tibetan separatists and are angry at protesters for disrupting an event that they have been so excited about for so long.

While rights groups know that the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics is the time for their voices to be heard, ordinary Chinese don't want to hear it. It is important to note that the citizens of China don't elect its government leaders. They don't vote on domestic policy issues. They only have access to a limited amount of information about what goes on in China and around the world. And the Beijing Olympics is perhaps the most exciting national event of their lifetimes. So, they may not fully understand the complexity of situation.

The International Olympic Committee understands the way the Chinese feel about the Games. While having expressed concern over the issues in Tibet, the IOC maintains that interrupting its sacred event is going too far.

IOC president Jacques Rogge has said, "I am saddened that such a beautiful symbol of the torch, which unites people of different religions, different ethnic origin, different political systems, cultures and languages, has been attacked. … I am also sad for the athletes and people who have been selected to carry the torch should have this fantastic moment of their lives ruined."

The San Francisco torch relay will not be broadcast live in Beijing, in part because it's the middle of the night, but also perhaps because of what the pictures might show. San Francisco is expected to be the scene of massive pro-Tibet rallies. The route has already been shortened, security beefed up and protests are already under way.

And if what happened in London and Paris are any indications, San Francisco's demonstrations could be of historic proportions.

China's Foreign Ministry has a message for protesters in San Francisco. "We'd also like to warn organizations and forces who attempt to disrupt the Games. They try to tarnish the image of China and pressure China and their attempts are not going to prevail. They can only achieve one goal -- which is to expose their true face to disrupt the Games," spokeswoman Jiang told foreign journalists.

While this sort of rhetoric works well to quell disappointment within China, the rest of the world does not seem to be buying it. The sentiment in the West seems to be turning increasingly anti-China, something that the country's PR machine was not prepared for.