uring the visit of Honors College at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU), Wang Guan, chief on-camera correspondent of CCTV America, talked about media situations in both China and U.S., emphasizing Chinese international communication and sharing his working experience with SISU students on Songjiang campus this November.

Wang Guan thought it was important for China to understand the U.S. media mechanism because the launch of American national image used to depend on its political propaganda. Wang used the theory of "control the public's subconscious desires" to illustrate the media impact on enhancing the national identity and value.

During the evening lecture, Wang mentioned the "China card" used in the US election. China was only mentioned once in the TV debate of 1981 US election. However, the number reached 68 in the debate of Obama and Romney in 2012 US election. In this year's election, two candidates mentioned China for more than 30 times, implying the enhancement of China's international status and economic strength of the past three decades, as well as the trade deficit problem of China and America. Wang said that he as a foreign politician correspondent should have well prepared all these data in report.

Wang Guan said that increasing the national soft power is important to create China brand for trying to remove the bias and prejudices of China from western countries. Therefore, China's publicity should enhance the influence of official discourse and use more commercial folk discourse, getting news sources in different ways to better express China's voice.

Wang showed some cases of China's effort in dealing with international relations during the lecture, including "the South China Sea" series of CCTV America, "the China's 13th Five Year Plan song" of Fuxinglushang Studio and the video "Chinese kongfu and China's New Normal", which performed the effort of China's international communication.

Wang encouraged those who aspire to devote to international communication. He suggested that the youth should have a voice in public opinion to try to eliminate western world’s inherent prejudice towards China. Wang believed that only by committing more talents to the battle of public can gradually improve China’s inferior situation in international communication.

Wang also referred to his own growing experience to suggest that one should “dare to think, dare to ask, and dare to do” during study. He also gave a series of advice, including “sharpen logic thinking”, “learn to collect mass information and find the law within it”, “know both your enemy and yourself”, “write an article from the source of information”, “follow heated issues and try to convince yourself”.

Students from SISU’s Honors College have benefitted a great deal after two lectures. Zhang Wenkang said: “Mr. Wang shared his unique perspective towards international communication in contemporary international society by his own experience, which benefitted me a lot. China is going to the world now. We should make the world better hear China’s voice. Mr. Wang also illustrated the diversification of communication method nowadays thrush some cases, which made me realize that the spreading of China’s voice in the future is depended on the youth. It encouraged us to work hard on professional knowledge and to enlarge our knowledge.”

“Mr. Wang had a fluent speech and a sagacity temperament. We felt his strength in the argument with the foreign elites and the rectification of the name of China,” Nie Qi said, “He was also very easy-going to take selfie and chat with us after the lecture, making the speech even more interesting.”

Yun Yifan said, “As a student from Area Country Studies Center, I really have benefitted a lot in the one and a half hour. Mr. Wang gave his own advice on our common English study and communication, like to take exercise of grammar, and to train and strengthen logical thinking. Besides, he repeatedly emphasized that we should learn to tell a story of China to make the westerners agree and accept. The speech gave us a sense of mission and encouraged me to be a better me.”