Managing a nation's image during crisis: A study of the Chinese government's image repair efforts in the "Made in China" controversy

Public Relations Review

Volumn 35, Issue 3, 2009, Pages 213-218

  Peijuan, Cai ^a   Ting, Lee Pei ^a   Pang, Augustine ^a  

^a NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY   (Singapore)

Author keywords

Crisis; Image; Image repair; Nation; Product recalls; Public diplomacy

Indexed keywords

EID: 67649853098     PISSN: 03638111     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.pubrev.2009.05.015     Document Type: Article

References (65)

1. Andrews J.R., Leff M.C., and Terrill R. Reading rhetorical texts: An introduction to criticism (1998), Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston
2. Bardhan N. Transnational AIDS-HIV news narratives: A critical exploration of overarching frames. Mass Communication & Society 4 3 (2001) 283-309
3. Benoit W.L. Sears' repair of its auto service image: Image restoration discourse in the corporate sector. Communication Studies 46 1-2 (1995) 89-106
4. Benoit W.L. Hugh Grant's image restoration discourse: An actor apologizes. Communication Quarterly 45 3 (1997) 251-268
5. Benoit W.L. Another visit to the theory of image restoration strategies. Communication Quarterly 48 1 (2000) 40-44
6. Benoit W.L. Image restoration discourse and crisis communication. In: Dan P., Millar, Robert L., and Heath (Eds). Responding to crisis: A rhetorical approach to crisis communication (2004), Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ 263-280
7. Benoit W.L., and Brinson S.L. AT&T: "Apologies are not enough". Communication Quarterly 42 (1994) 75-88
8. Benoit W.L., and Brinson S.L. Queen Elizabeth's image repair discourse: Insensitive royal or compassionate queen?. Public Relations Review 25 2 (1999) 145-160
9. Benoit W.L., and Pang A. Crisis communication and image repair discourse. In: Hansen-Horn T., and Neff B. (Eds). Public relations: From theory to practice (2008), Pearson Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA 244-261
10. Blanchard B., and Lin V. China toy group says was aware of magnet problem (2007, August 15), Reuters Retrieved 20 September 2007 from Factiva database
11. Chan, J. (2001). HIV/AIDS epidemic in rural China. At: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/aug2001/aids-a06.shtml. Accessed on 10 May 2008.
12. China acts on food safety after pet poisonings. (2007, May 9). Reuters. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from Factiva database.
13. China announces controls after U.S. pet food scare. (2007, April 26). Reuters. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
14. China arrests 15 for making and selling drugs. (2007, July 30). Reuters. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
15. China calls for global cooperation to improve food safety. (2007, August 16). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
16. China gets tough with substandard foodstuffs. (2007, July 14). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
17. China officials defend food quality, criticize foreign media 'fabrications'. (2007, August 2). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
18. China on the move to improve food safety. (2007, July 27). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
19. China revokes licenses of two companies involved in pet food scandal. (2007, July 20). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
20. China says alleged faulty tires up to U.S. standards, blames misuse for fatal accident. (2007, July 18). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
21. China says U.S. self-contradictory detaining toothpastes from China. (2007, June 3). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
22. China says toys recalled by Mattel safe, despite some failing U.S. standards. (2007, September 18). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
23. China spending $1 billion on food, drug safety. (2007, August 8). Reuters. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
24. China tightens quality control on toys. (2007, May 25). Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved September 20, 2007, from Factiva database.
25. China warns U.S. against "smear attacks" on imports. (2007, July 19). Reuters. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
26. China, US to consult on food safety. (2007, July 18). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
27. Chinese candy maker says no exports of alleged tainted product. (2007, July 20). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007, from Factiva.
28. Chinese food exports are safe. (2007). Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America. At: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmgx/t334047.htm. Accessed on 20 September 2007.
29. Chinese Government attaches importance to food and drug safety. (2007). Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America. At: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/sgxx/sggg/sgxw/t342513.htm. Accessed on 20 September 2007.
30. China's food quality and safety. (2007). Chinese Government's official web portal. At: http://www.gov.cn/english/2007-08/17/content_720346.htm. Accessed on 20 September 2007.
31. China's kid pajama exports to New Zealend tested qualified, senior official. (2007, August 27). Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
32. China's recent steps to quell product safety fears. (2007, August 17). Reuters. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
33. Choong W. Chinese navy needs a PR frontman. The Straits Times (2009, May 15) A16
34. Coghlan, A. (2007). Melamine suspected of killing hundreds of US pets. At: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19426023.600. Accessed on 30 September 2007.
35. Cowden L., and Sellnow T.L. Issues advertising as crisis communication: Northwest Airlines' use of image restoration strategies during the 1998 pilot's strike. Journal of Business Communication 39 2 (2002) 193-219
36. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang's regular press conference on 3 July 2007. (2007). Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America. At: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/fyrth/t336703.htm. Accessed on 20 September 2007.
37. Four Chinese detained for involvement in Mattel toy recall. (2007, September 21). Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved September 27, 2007, from Factiva database.
38. Gaulier, G., Lemoine, F., & Unal-Kesenci, D. (2005). China: A workshop of the world and a market for Europe. At: http://ideas.repec.org/a/cii/cepill/2005-245.html. Accessed on 14 May 2009.
39. Giffard A., and Rivenburgh N.K. News agencies, national images, and global media events. Journalism Quarterly 77 (2000) 8-21
40. Grupp R.W. The new public diplomacy: Using public relations to foster a culture of collaboration. Speech given to the international public relations research conference at Miami. Florida, US, on March 7, 2008 (2008)
41. Heavey, S. (2007, May 24). U.S. FDA to monitor toothpaste from China. Reuters. Accessed on 20 September 2007 from Factiva.
42. Hiebert R.E. Commentary: Challenges for Arab and American public relations and public diplomacy in a global age. Public Relations Review 31 (2005) 317-322
43. Horvit B. International news agencies and the war debate of 2003. The International Communication Gazette 68 5-6 (2006) 427-447
44. Kahn, J. (2007). China executes the former head of its food and drug agency. At: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/10/news/china.php/. Accessed on 30 September 2007.
45. Kinney, T. J. (2002). Rhetorical analysis. At: http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:T393427FowcJ:www.u.arizona.edu/∼ tkinney/pdf/handouts/r_analysis.pdf+rhetorical+analysis&hl=en&ct =clnk&cd=8&gl=sg&client=firefox-a. Accessed on 20 September 2007.
46. Lawrence, D. (2007). China begins four-month campaign to enhance quality. At:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aVzYIFyYGNIY &refer=asia. Accessed on 30 September 2007.
47. Len-Ríos M.E., and Benoit W.L. Gary Condit's image repair strategies: Determined denial and differentiation. Public Relations Review 30 (2003) 95-106
48. Liu B.F. President Bush's major post-Katrina speeches: Enhancing image repair discourse theory applied to the public sector. Public Relations Review 33 (2007) 40-48
49. Lu X. The theory of persuasion in Han Fei Tzu and its impact on Chinese communication behaviors. Howard Journal of Communication 5 1 and 2 (1994) 108-122
50. Pang A., Jin Y., and Cameron G.T. If we can learn some lessons in the process: A contingency approach to analyzing the Chinese Government's management of the perception and emotion of its multiple publics during the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) crisis (2004), IPRRC, Miami, FL
51. Peh S.H. China's swift and open rescue efforts win praise. The Straits Times (2008, May 15) 8
52. Signitzer B.H., and Coombs W.T. Public relations and public diplomacy: Conceptual convergences. Public Relations Review 18 2 (1992) 137-147
53. Tai, Z. (2003). News events, news values and Editors' judgments: A comparative study of three Asian news agencies. Unpublished thesis. University of Minnesota.
54. Tan H.L. Timely flow of quake news from China and 'incredible phenomenon': Foreign Minister Yeo. Weekend Today (2008, May 17-18) pp. 6
55. The US-China Business Council. (2006). US-China trade statistics and China's world trade statistics. At: http://www.uschina.org/statistics/tradetable.html. Accessed on: 10 October 2007.
56. U.S., China promise Americans lead-free toys. (2007, September 12). Reuters. Accessed on 27 September 2007 from Factiva.
57. Van Dyke M.A., and Vercic D. Public relations, public diplomacy and soft power: Conceptual convergence or credibility crisis? (2008), IPRRC, Miami, FL
58. Wang J. Managing national reputation and international relations in the global era: Public diplomacy revisited. Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 91-96
59. Watts, J. (2003). Hidden from the world, a village dies of Aids while China refuses to face a growing crisis. At: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/oct/25/aids.china. Accessed on 10 May 2008.
60. Wu, C., & Wu, Q. (2007, September 16). China: En route to better food safety. Xinhua News Agency. Accessed on 27 September 2007, from Factiva.
61. Wu M. Framing AIDS in China: A comparative analysis of US and Chinese wire news coverage of HIV/AIDS in China. Asian Journal of Communication 16 2 (2006) 251-272
62. Xin X. A developing market in news: Xinhua News Agency and Chinese newspapers. Media, Culture & Society 28 1 (2006) 45-66
63. Yun S. Toward public relations theory-based study of public diplomacy: Testing the applicability of the excellence study. Journal of Public Relations Research 18 4 (2006) 287-312
64. Zhang J. Public diplomacy as symbolic interactions: A case study of Asian tsunami relief campaigns. Public Relations Review 32 (2006) 26-32
65. Zhang J., and Benoit W.L. Message strategies of Saudi Arabia's image restoration campaign after 9/11. Public Relations Review 30 3 (2004) 161-167