In the run-up to the Olympic Games, Chinese people at home and abroad demonstrated against the Western media for being negative about China. Now, as the games come to an end, such criticism is seldom heard. Does this mean the West has become more positive about China?

Cloe Liu usually presents a lifestyle programme on Radio Beijing, but over the last few weeks the station has been transformed into Radio Olympia, providing continuous news on the games from Beijing. An important part of her show is given over to interviewing foreigners in the capital's streets, asking them what they think of the games and Beijing itself. Ms Liu says:

"Lots of people from abroad say they are more positive now that they've seen Beijing for themselves. The games are going really well, and the city's cleaner, more beautiful and more modern than they thought."
Ms Liu says it is important to hear what foreigners think of China.

"China's image abroad is too negative and that doesn't reflect reality," she believes. That is the fault of Western media, which paint a grim picture of China. "You yourself wouldn't like it if your country was always given bad coverage in the media."

Western approval
Wei Liu comes from China and is at the University of Amsterdam, doing a PhD on how the Olympics has been reported in both the Western and Chinese media. He believes the games were designed to improve China's image abroad. No expense or effort has been spared in ensuring the games run perfectly.

"China wants to play its part on the world stage and needs the West's approval. The Western media play an important part in this."

Mr Liu says reporting was extremely negative, especially concerning human rights and pollution.

"It ignored all the improvements implemented by the government, the modern developments in the capital, which are a source of pride to most Beijing residents."

Since the games began, Mr Liu thinks the reporting has changed.

"The focus has changed from Chinese society to sport, and there is room for praise, for example of the opening ceremony. China's state television, CCTV, has featured elaborate reports about how positive the Washington Post and CNN were."

According to Mr Liu the Western media are still reporting on human rights issues and scandals, but far less doggedly than before the games started.

Less critical?
Ola Wong has been the Swedish daily Sydsvenska Dagbladet's China correspondent for five years and has won prizes for his investigative journalism in the country. He does not think the Western media have really changed because of the Olympics, but that they are just doing their job, providing their public with the news they want. "And that is now sport, which means my life has become nice and quiet," he adds.

"Criticism is an integral part of journalism. You write about things which are contentious: the government position and that of someone who is fighting against the government. That is not defamation, that is journalism."

The Bird's Nest in Beijing
The Beijing National Stadium called Bird's Nest
Few Chinese agree with Mr Wong. They would rather the West took more notice of what is going well in China. However, Jing Jing, who works at Radio Beijing, does not find Western media reporting about China too critical.

"We grow up in a society in which people concentrate on the things which have got better. That makes people feel good. In other countries, you grow up with a more critical view."

She thinks the Chinese media should become more critical. "Only then will you get mature journalism."

Revelations during the Olympic Games

• The Beijing Times, a local paper, discovered that the footsteps created by fireworks above the city during the opening ceremony and seen on television were for the most part computer animations;
• The opening ceremony's music director admitted, in a Radio Beijing interview, that the opening number was not sung by the pretty girl in the spotlight, but had been recorded earlier by a girl with a very good voice but who was not considered good looking enough to be seen in the performance;
• Rumours were already doing the rounds that girls under 16 were part of the Chinese gymnastics team. Western journalists discovered evidence of one underage girl. A registration form and an Internet article from the state controlled newspaper, the China Daily, put gymnast He Kexin's age at 14. Her age had been altered, but the original article was still to be found through the Google search engine. The whole article has since been removed from the Internet.

*RNW translation (mw)