BEIJING — The short, catchy film commissioned by the Chinese government was designed to plant a positive image of China in foreigners’ minds for the Beijing Olympics.
But instead of airing worldwide more than two months ago as planned, the 30-second TV spot is only now about to reach viewers, having been delayed repeatedly by Tibetan riots, a devastating earthquake and foreign criticism.
China’s hopes that the Olympics starting Friday will be a pivotal moment in national glory and global acceptance have been battered by unforeseen events. The disappointment has left some in China hurt and feeling unjustly treated.
The Chinese “tried hard to impress the world and to prove the country deserves respect and appreciation,” said Xu Guoqi, a China- born historian at Kalamazoo College in Michigan. “But the West used the Olympic torch relay and the coming Games to shame the country and frequently remind the Chinese they were not good enough.”
The Olympics still might appear picture-perfect on global TV, despite concerns about air pollution, overbearing security and media restrictions. Enthusiasm among Chinese for a strong showing by Team China remains high.
But where officials once spoke of hosting the greatest Games ever, they now seem ready to settle simply for an incident-free event.
“A safe Olympics is the biggest indicator of the success of the Games,” Vice President Xi Jinping, the senior-most Communist Party leader overseeing preparations, told a rally of volunteers last month.
The promotional film was a key part of the effort to boost China’s image and the first ever commissioned by the government for overseas markets. Dubbed “a national image film,” the government planned for a May airing on CNN, the BBC and other broadcasters with international reach.
The piece would mix images of ancient picturesque towns with shots of ultramodern Beijing and Shanghai.
“At the time, we thought we were making history,” said one participant who, like several interviewed, requested anonymity because of a confidentiality agreement signed with the government agency overseeing the project. “They said this was the first time that China was communicating to the outside world rather than waiting for the world to come to us.”
Then events intervened.
Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg withdrew as an adviser to the opening ceremony to draw attention to China’s support for the Sudan government, which is waging a civil war in Darfur. The uprising by Tibetans brought a tide of critical reporting by the foreign media and turned the torch relay into a melee of protests.
Suddenly, the talk overseas, especially in the West, was of boycotts and Beijing’s suitability to host the games.
“We hoped that the Olympics would help people understand our country’s achievements, that this ancient civilization has started a new chapter,” said Luo Qing, a media expert in Beijing specializing in China’s national image. “But from the torch relay, we suddenly realized that we were preparing to open the nation’s front door to welcome people who do not wish us well.”
