(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-15 07:36

BOAO, Hainan: A renowned US economist on Sunday blamed the structure of the media industry in the United States for the limited understanding of young Americans of the real China.

In an exclusive interview, John Rutledge, who has advised several US presidents, said it would be "a shame" if the disturbances around the Beijing Olympics hid the true value of the story of the growth in China.

"It is one of the best opportunities for people in Europe and the United States to learn more about China. I fear there are people taking that advantage to make news," he said on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan province.

Citing US television shows as an example, Rutledge, a visiting professor at Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it was the commercial pressure in the media that forced producers to focus on negative information.

"If I can do something to frighten you, you will watch my show. So almost all of the American television shows are designed to keep the viewers afraid," he said.

As China has maintained double-digit economic growth for five consecutive years, the world has responded with mixed feelings, he said.

Some hailed the economy for being responsible for 35 percent of the growth of the entire global economy last year. Others regarded it more of a potential menace.

"The growth is very good. The resource conflict between old economies and the emerging economies is real," Rutledge said. "The relationship and friendship will depend on information flow."

An "unhealthy situation" concerning the economy, however, was that young people in China were "very friendly and knowledgeable" about the US. In contrast, young people in the US did not know much about China.

"For 50 years, our communication was almost closed. In recent years in the US, the only stories people read about China are negative ones," Rutledge said.

It is important for people to "do everything possible" to build a pipeline of information, because friends talk about their problems, he said.

"If you are strangers, and you have a conflict, you fight with each other," Rutledge said.

This was crucial for the younger generation as they are the future leaders, he said.

Xinhua

(China Daily 04/15/2008 page5)