Since 2009, the State Council’s Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs, a government agency that seeks to engage overseas Chinese, has organized an annual New Year’s performance, “Cultures of China, Festival of Spring” in 49 cities on six continents, with an overseas audience of 1.75 million. Programs have included patriotic songs, ethnic dances, and acrobatics.
The President of the New York based U.S.-China Cultural Exchange Association, Luo Man, said after watching the performance, “I have been immersed in the diverse culture of the U.S. for a long time, but my feelings always belong to the land where I was born and raised. This emotion is cast in blood and cannot be changed.”
The programs are designed to boost China’s global image, while winning the hearts of overseas Chinese. “As China’s economic and overall national power rises, so do the prejudices, misunderstandings, and mistrust of international society. When facing a complicated external environment, we must actively react to guide international society to form an objective and comprehensive ‘image of China.’”
Source: Qiushi, April 1, 2011
http://www.qstheory.cn/zxdk/2011/201107/201103/t20110329_74424.htm