Sunny Lee reports in the Asia Times:
Some 20 years later, the Chinese government, emboldened by its economic prowess and global political importance, is now willing to experiment with the program again. Spearheading this crusade is Li Xiguang, the executive dean of the journalism school at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Li was among an early batch of students who attended the Deng’s Western-style journalism program. “My classmates at that time included people who are now the head of the People’s Daily, the head of the State Council’s Information Office and the editor-in-chief of the Xinhua News Agency,” Li told Asia Times Online.
Anyone who pays attention to the press environment in China pays close attention to Li. He is arguably the most visible and influential media advisor to the Chinese government. Not surprisingly, Li’s efforts to put together an international journalism program at Tsinghua are seen by some as a bellwether of China’s future media strategy.
