Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Stay on Message

In public relations, it's really important to stay on message. That means repeating your key phrases so that people get it drummed into their heads.

And in the case of the Chinese government they do a really good job with the issue of Taiwan.

Today in a press conference held by the Taiwan Office for the State Council, the spokesman announced China's hopes for direct shipping links with Taiwan, but so far has received no response.

He continued to say that Taiwanese farmers enjoy no tax levies on their fruits imported into the mainland.

And when a Taiwanese reporter asked for a comment about the Democratic Progressive Party's separatist plans, the Chinese spokesperson curtly replied: "There is only one China. Taiwan is a part of China."

The government has been parroting this phrase ever since Chiang Kai-shek fled the mainland in 1949.

It's almost on par with another marketing slogan: "Diamonds are Forever."

Pure copy writing genius or a PR wizard's dream come true.

Oh and did I mention the building for this Taiwan office makes reporters climb up three flights of dirty and bare cement stairs, while the officials rest in a lobby that's carpeted and decorated with chandeliers and grandfather clocks?

2 comments:

toothfiller said...

I wonder why most of the "Chinese" people on Taiwan don't seem to share the motherland's idea and elected a pro-independent president for 2 terms. While Chen isn't doing a great job as a president, the leading opposition KMT hasn't done a good job of convincing Taiwnese people that they wouldn't be sold out to the commies. While reunification may be inevitable, it is certainly not now or in near future. Taiwan was occupied by several foreign nations over last few hundred years as China could never provid sufficient protection for a remote island occupied by savages. It was sacrificed for battles lost and traded as war prize. Feelings of mistrust and being betrayed are deep rooted and go back many generations. China is quickly emerging as the next evil empire with its exploding economy and the demise of Russia. It is playing school yard bully games with Taiwan on the internation stages and undermining (and insulting) its effort to be a dignified nation. China's should concentrate more on its internal affair and narrow the gap of poor and rich than trying to occupying an resource-poor remote island with its mighty force and 900+ war heads. China would never dare to take Taiwan by force as it knows occupation by military force has deadly results (U.S. is learning this the hard way, twice). Taiwan issue is not be be decided by the People's Liberation Army (how funny that sounds!). A more open and democratic China will win Taiwanese's heart and mind.

Goodbye HK, Hello YVR said...

Taiwan is a heated issue. If you ask any Chinese and they firmly believe that the "rogue state" belongs to China, no question. It's been drummed into their heads since they were born so it's hard to explain Taiwan's side of the story...