Australian National University "Development Policy Blog" website August 23 article, original title: Why are Chinese companies in Pacific island countries so silent? In the process of researching Chinese companies doing business in Pacific island countries, the author met many people from all walks of life living in Australia or the Pacific region. Our conversation revealed a profound and serious issue: Those who are not directly involved in the operations of Chinese companies, no matter where they live, have no contact with these Chinese companies or even the Chinese people living there. Many Chinese companies have been operating in the Pacific market for nearly 10 years, but their voices have become fewer and weaker, and the outside world's views on them are increasingly based on inferences and even speculations.
Many local and Western media friends in the Pacific region complained that Chinese companies did not respond to media interview requests. Preferring to remain silent at the risk of being misunderstood rather than explaining something and drawing attention to it is a form of self-protection out of distrust of the outside world. What makes Chinese companies so vigilant?
The Western media reports are not to blame. A study found that Australian media reports and comments on China as a threat to the Pacific region have increased significantly since 2018. Some have distorted facts and used misleading information to create eye-catching content, leading to the phenomenon of "bad money driving out good money". Continuous false news has made Chinese companies resistant to non-Chinese media, including local media that write fair reports.
Some Chinese companies tried to rely on local governments to clarify the facts and communicate with the media, but it did not work. A Chinese company told the author that they had reported a misunderstanding to the local government in the hope of helping to clarify it, but the other party did not do so. Such incidents lead Chinese companies to believe that the outside world does not care about the truth, which in turn leads to a negative attitude by Chinese companies in managing public relations.
What annoys Chinese companies even more is that Western media only focus on their "shortcomings" but ignore their achievements and positive aspects. For example, China’s medical teams sent to the Pacific are rarely reported. An Australian medical company said it had minimal contact with Chinese medical teams simply because Chinese doctors mostly work in remote villages - a very positive and popular practice there.
Another reason why Chinese companies are reluctant to face the media is that they know they will be asked questions related to China's Pacific policy and influence. A Chinese friend in Fiji talked about his experience of being interviewed. When reporters asked questions, it seemed as if he was a diplomat rather than a small business owner from China.
In Australia, even if the relationship between the Australian and Chinese governments is tense, communication at the social level is still open. For example, young people from Australia and China can sit side by side and discuss the relationship between the two countries. But this is difficult to achieve in the Pacific Island countries, where there is not a large group of Chinese students and many people in Chinese companies have limited English proficiency.
Language barriers are a communication challenge that can also be overcome through technology. But the fundamental reason for the silence of Chinese companies is that they gradually develop distrust of the outside world through the experience of being targeted and misunderstood. How to rebuild mutual trust between Chinese enterprises and the outside world is still a difficult problem. But we – people from Australia, China and the Pacific – can help build a social environment that promotes open dialogue. This requires the media to respect cultural differences and report objectively, and Chinese companies must be open to interaction with the media. ▲
author Huiyuan Liu, translated by Chen Junan
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