China unveils its 'soft-power' campaign

《环球时报》今天的文章，题目“中国打响`软实力`战役”
以下是根据中文内容节选的原文


Source: Globe and Mail, Canada

BEIJING — You won't find mention of any Communist leaders in the glossy "Introduction to China" brochures that are being distributed to 21,000 foreign journalists at the Olympics this week.
Instead of revolutionary heroes such as Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping, the official brochures prefer to extol an ancient philosopher who is becoming the figurehead for China's new national identity: Confucius.
The long-awaited opening of the Beijing Olympics, the biggest event in China's recent political history, will help define China's emerging self-image as it shifts into a new era of power and pride on the global stage.
Reaching deep into its pre-revolutionary history, China is increasingly drawing on the patriotism of its people, a patriotism based not on ideology but on the glories of China's ancient culture, bolstered today by the technological and military prowess of an economic superpower.
At the opening ceremonies, the Chinese will emphasize the "Four Great Inventions" - printing, papermaking, gunpowder and the compass - that China gave to the world.
"I see the Olympics and the opening ceremonies as a chance to symbolize an important transformation in China's self-image," says Daniel Bell, a Canadian scholar who is now a political philosophy professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
"For most of the 20th century, China viewed itself as a weak and vulnerable country that has been denied its historical place in the sun," said Dr. Bell, author of China's New Confucianism, a book published this year.
"It was bullied by foreign powers, and it drew upon the Legalist tradition to ruthlessly strengthen the state and mobilize the people for that purpose. Now that it's more powerful and has begun to re-establish its 'deserved' place in the sun, it can relax a bit, and the traditional Confucian ways of 'soft power' can begin to reassert themselves."
If the future brings a softer China with more Confucian influences, it may stem from the country's greater confidence in itself. A recent survey of more than 3,200 Chinese citizens, conducted for the Washington-based Pew Research Canter, found a fast-growing sense of self-confidence and satisfaction.
Interviews in the streets of Beijing show that many people have suffered inconveniences or even hardship as a result of the Olympics, yet the vast majority still support the Games.
Many Chinese have travelled huge distances to reach Beijing to admire the Olympic buildings and savour the Olympic atmosphere, even though they don't have tickets to any events. Every day, the streets near the famed Bird's Nest Stadium are clogged with photo-taking Chinese tourists, content just to get a glimpse of the Olympic architecture.
What's still unclear is whether this patriotism will spill over into aggressive nationalism during the Olympics, especially if the patriots feel that Western protesters are trying to ruin the Olympics.
But the government has launched a massive campaign for "civility" among Chinese spectators at the Olympics. It is encouraging Chinese fans to refrain from excessive enthusiasm for Chinese athletes, and even to applaud for losing teams and opposing athletes.
This, according to Dr. Bell, could be a sign of China's revival of Confucian philosophy.
"If China can pull off the first truly civil Olympics - where spectators cheer for opposing teams, where winning athletes go out of their way to treat losers with respect and dignity, and where ordinary Beijingers treat foreigners with kindness and civility - it will be a memorable Olympics, something that Chinese should feel proud of," he said.