http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-17/china-airs-commercial-in-u-s-to-bolster-image-during-hu-s-visit.htmlChina Airs Commercial in U.S. to Bolster Image During Hu’s Visit
Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- China unveiled a 60-second promotional video on the giant screens of New York’s Times Square last night as the nation seeks to present a more positive image for President Hu Jintao’s U.S. visit this week.
The marketing film, featuring Chinese celebrities including basketball player Yao Ming, astronaut Yang Liwei, and pianist Lang Lang, will show 300 times a day on six screens, according to the official Xinhua News agency. The clip will also air on television during Hu’s tour from today to Jan. 21, said Wang Lijun, a spokeswoman for producer Shanghai Lowe & Partners.
Hu arrives in Washington today for his first state visit following a year of rising tensions over trade, human rights and security issues. One in five Americans identified China as the greatest threat to the U.S., more than any other nation, a survey released last week by the Washington-based Pew Research Center for the People and the Press showed.
Hu meets President Barack Obama tonight and will be a guest of honor at a formal White House dinner tomorrow, before visiting Chicago. While Hu is in Chicago, U.S. and Chinese companies will announce about 40 agreements, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs said... China had a $252 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in the first 11 months of 2010, according to Commerce Department data. China wants the U.S. to lift its ban on exports of some technology to help balance trade.