Huang Youyi [Photo by He Shan / China.org.cn]

Political advisor Huang Youyi said, in an interview with China.org.cn, that China should improve its voice in the international community with four aspects.

Huang, the former vice president of the China International Publishing Group (CIPG) and executive vice president of the Translators Association of China, is attending the annual session of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

"First, we should know how to better distribute international news, and how to express China's stance to the international community. We need to learn the concepts and particular skills," he said, going on to say, "Second, we need to learn the diversity of news reports. In western countries, you can see different media outlets which have a different agenda and intimacy with certain parties, but they all actually defend their nation's interests. They look credible because they have adopted different statements and sources in their reports."

Huang continued, "Third, until now we have been passively responding to the Western media's reports and vocalizations. We should also actively set an agenda and lead the topics. Fourth, even a former staffer at the FBI admitted, in writing a book, how they brought down the Soviet Union, that America may not have been applauding itself, but was attacking the target. "

"China is always mindful of how to deal with things internally and domestically, and has the principle of 'do unto others what you would want others to do unto you,' but the strategy is too passive. We need to change it in terms of international communication," he added.

One other thing, Huang said, is to have more government department spokesmen with journalism experience. "To have a bigger say, China will have to improve the professional level of the spokesmen," the political advisor suggested, "A spokesman needs to know thoroughly about the department he works in, but he also should have journalistic experience to know what a media outlet wants and how it operates."

He complimented spokesman Wang Guoqing, the new spokesman for the CPPCC annual session, as a good example of what a great spokesman should be. "But many more spokesmen in Chinese government departments are officials, all that they are trying to do is to defend and protect their departments' interests, but they don't have the experience of dealing with the media."

Huang said he understood there has always been the "China threat" theory and it is impossible to turn this view around in America, Japan and other Western countries concerning many of the so-called China issues, including the South China Sea controversies. However, he said China should explain itself in every big forum and summit led especially by the United States when we have chance.

"Whatever you do, America will not be satisfied," he said, "it just can't stand another country which could challenge it in the world. We have to prepare for this situation to last a long time."

He remembers when he attended a South African think tank summit last year, things were different. "African people are learning from China. The think tank and officials even held a summit covering the book, 'Xi Jinping: The Governance of China,' and studied it, asking themselves if they could do the same in their own countries as China has, such as how to fight corruption and more. They are sincere and friendly."

"Opinions for China are different in developing countries and in developed countries, the 'China threat' theory sells in certain countries, but not in all of them."

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