【新唐人2011年7月29日訊】繼上半年，中共斥鉅資在紐約「時報廣場」滾動播放所謂「形象廣告片」之後，中共喉舌媒體《新華社》，近期又租下紐約「時代廣場」一塊黃金位置的巨型電視廣告牌，將於下週一開始播放廣告。中共希望在國際上樹立形象，但是評論者指出，「溫州動車慘劇」對國家形象的損害，卻是多少金錢都彌補不了的。
BBC報導，《新華社》租的這塊液晶顯示幕廣告牌，高18米，寬12米，位於「時代廣場」的北端。每天大約有50萬人經過這一地區。廣告牌位置原為「匯豐銀行」租用，但「匯豐銀行」在上個月租期到期後沒有續租。
《新華社》租下這塊廣告牌，被認為是中共改善國家形象，樹立中國品牌的又一次努力。
原北京大學法律系講師王天成表示，共產黨的廣告宣傳無法改善自身的形象，因為全世界都看到他的專制和惡劣的人權。他說，當這種宣傳和實際情況如果形成反差，反而會激起更多人的厭惡。
王天成（原北京大學法律系講師）：「 與其做這種面子工程，還不如真的把自己的臉搞得好看一點，改善一下人權狀況，啟動政治改革。你看最近發生的高鐵追尾事件，他對中國的國家形象損害多大啊。那麼多人關注，他就草草了事。事故還沒進行調查，就先把證據給毀了。」
曾經擔任「中國改革雜誌社」新聞部主任，和《紐約時報》北京分社新聞助理的趙岩分析說，中共企圖在世界上搶奪話語權。他舉例說，去年中共收購美國《新聞週刊》沒有成功，現在又到「時代廣場」投放廣告，而被稱為「海外央視」的《鳳凰衛視》，最近也在納斯達克上市。趙岩提醒美國政府注意中共的文化和政治滲透。
趙岩（資深媒體人）：「國際外交是要對等的。那麼美國的甚麼媒體可以在中國上市呢？美國的CNN和我所在過的《紐約時報》可以拿到上海去上市嗎？我想胡錦濤一定會說不可以。那麼為甚麼《鳳凰臺》可以到美國來上市呢？現在如果《紐約時報》到王府井去，或到天安門廣場去，搞一個巨大的屏幕，他肯賣嗎？他也不肯賣給《紐約時報》。」
趙岩建議美國政府，在允許中國的媒體和廣告進入「時代廣場」的同時，要求中共當局以同樣的權利，對美國的新聞和美國的廣告加以開放。
另外，趙岩認為，如果《新華社》新租的看板，仍然遵循今年年初使用體育明星和娛樂明星，來代言國家形象的思路，那就是浪費納稅人的錢。
趙岩：「國家的形象和軟實力不是通過這樣的廣告來搞的。國家的軟實力是通過幾個方面來進行的。要通過你的教育，通過你的意識形態，通過你的外交，等等一系列的問題來表現。」
趙岩批評那些被用來代表中國形象的娛樂明星，基本上都是願意當奴隸的中國人的形象展，根本代表不了中國人的脊樑和中國人真正的精神。
而BBC的報導還說，《新華社》自1971年起，就在美國開設了《新華社》分社。《新華社》五月份將北美的總部，從紐約的皇后區搬到了「時代廣場」。據《鳳凰網》的報導，廣告牌業主拒絕透露《新華社》付出的租金價格。但據了解，「時代廣場」最優質的廣告位置租金，可以高達每月30萬到40萬美金。
新唐人記者秦雪、薛莉採訪報導。
Xinhua’s Times Square LCD Whitewash
Earlier this year Chinese Communist Party (CCP) broadcasted
the costly scrolling “branding commercials”.
Now CCP’s Xinhua is leasing a big screen on Times Square,
and will be playing ads starting from next week.
CCP aims to improve its global image.
Experts remind us that
money can’t whitewash the late high-speed railway tragedy.
According to BBC, the LCD screen leased by Xinhua,
is 18m tall, 12m wide, located at Times Square’s north end.
Half a million people pass through this area everyday.
The space was leased by HSBC, which didn’t renew its lease
after the lease expired last month.
Renting this ad space is seen as another effort
to burnish CCP’s image and popularize itself overseas.
Former Peking University Law lecturer Wang Tiancheng said,
CCP’s propaganda will not improve its image.
The whole world is witnessing its autocracy
and worsening human rights record.
He said, when the propaganda is different from reality,
it will evoke even more negative thoughts.
Wang Tiancheng: “Instead of building a vanity project,
it is better to change itself, to improve the human rights,
and to initiate political reform.
Look at the recent high-speed rail disaster.
How bad it makes the country look.
You (CCP) handled it hastily before so many peoples’ eyes.
Evidence was destroyed without any formal investigation.”
Former “China Reform Magazine” news department director,
New York Times’ Beijing news assistant Zhao Yan analyzes
that CCP is trying to establish its presence abroad.
They failed to buy Newsweek last year,
now they are trying to advertise on Times Square.
In addition, the Phoenix TV known as the “overseas CCTV”
became listed on Nasdaq recently.
Zhao Yan is warning the US government
to be aware of CCP’s cultural and political infiltration.
Zhao Yan: “International diplomacy is based on fairness.
Which American media is listed on Chinese Stock market?
Can CNN and New York Times be listed in Shanghai?
I think Hu Jintao will say no.
Then why is Phoenix TV listed in US?
Now if New York Times wants to advertise on a big screen
in Wangfujing or Tiananmen will they let them? They’ll not.”
Zhao Yan suggests now when the US government permits
the CCP media and ads to come to Time Square,
they should request from China equal rights
to open up access to American media and advertisements.
Zhao Yan thinks also that if Xinhua still features
famous athletes and celebrities on its ads as earlier in the year,
in order to uplift and promote the CCP’s image,
then this is a waste of the tax payers’ money.
Zhao Yan: “A country’s image and strengths
are not to be promoted by advertisements like this.
A country’s soft powers are shown through its education,
ideology and diplomacy.”
Zhao criticizes the celebrities promoting CCP’s image,
which shows that the Chinese are willing to be enslaved.
This is not the Chinese’s true spirit.
According to BBC, Xinhua had an office in US since 1971.
In May, Xinhua moved its US headquarters to Times Square.
Phoenix.net said that the company leasing this ad space
had refused to disclose the cost of the lease.
Based on estimates, such an ad location on Times Square
would cost in the range of USD 0.3 to 0.4 million per month.
NTD reporters Qin Xue and Xue Li