Week 6 - Regina Kwon

World-wide, China is the mecca for tourists and travelers alike. Ding’s article suggests that China rose to power by being internationally friendly and engaged, as well as mindful of how it keeps up with the lows and highs of its national image. China rebranded itself by monitoring and regulating its own collective behaviors through media representation. Quickly, China became known for its vast technology and innovations. It’s interesting to see how China is well-known for its longstanding cultural loyalty and international outreach through media. However, the idea of whether or not China is reaching its full potential is ambiguous, as revealed in Latham’s article. At the same time it can be difficult to see past China’s ancient history, so it’s incredible to realize how China has its flaws too—notably in the governmental and foreign affairs. Therefore, China can achieve maximum national aesthetics status by strengthening the relationship between its citizens and foreign media. This is because foreign media portrays “real China” as a fraud since it does not reflect the admirable Beijing Olympics. In relation to current events, this reminds me of how most countries perhaps use soft power to win the hearts and minds of people/strangers simply from mere exposure to positive attributes, instead of actual negative representations. 

I feel that the best way to fund my startup is simply starting out small—through local organizations that specialize in social gatherings and promote paths to individual success—in regard to wellbeing. Gradually my team and I will work our way upwards. We’d most likely seek funding from areas such as Silicon Valley where there are many gateways to industrial and capitalist funding. It’s necessary to build from these potential relations with different types of funders/funding. So, I’d have to launch my product as a commodity to give a rough estimate of its value. This includes discussing the varying costs and investments that might be obtainable and produced by us through our app. Importantly, we’d use the initial funding to get in touch with great designers who may help us in the process of developing our app. We can even negotiate with nomadic business workers who manage events and promote new apps. If there are leftover funds, we’d use them on gathering further data and materials. 

Question: How can old as well as new approaches to development effect Chinese and foreign media? How might Chinese media improve its relationship with the government? 

Sources: Ding, Sheng. “Branding a Rising China: An Analysis of Beijing’s National Image Management in the Age of China’s Rise.” Journal of Asian and African Studies 46:3, 2011. 293-306. Print. 

Latham, Kevin. “Media, the Olympics and the Search for the 'Real China.’ The China Quarterly 197, 2009. 25-43. Print. 

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