After the recall, denial

The onslaught of problems has overwhelmed Beijing8217;s damage-control efforts, experts say. 8220;The sheer tempo of scandals and scrutiny has picked to the point that China8217;s traditional media system is not up to the task,8221; said David Wolf, president of Wolf Group Asia, a Beijing-based strategic public relations firm.

8220;They8217;re also grappling with communication problems within the government, a huge organisation, which is not used to being transparent or responsive.8221; In recent weeks, however, some Chinese officials are starting to do a better job reassuring the public at home and abroad by following a few cardinal rules: admit mistakes, accept responsibility, minimise cover-ups and outline a concrete response.

The State Council, China8217;s Cabinet, has distributed handouts, made safety officials available, organised media trips to factories and inspection centers and nudged other agencies to follow suit.

8220;It has been repeatedly proved 8216;information blockage8217; is like walking into a dead end,8221; said Wang Guoqing, vice minister of the State Council Information Office, in July. 8220;We should enlist the media in any emergency plans.8221;

The government has also tapped international image advisers, including public relations experts Edelman and Ogilvy, as well as Washington, DC, lobbying firm Patton Boggs.

8220;We8217;re trying to help them understand how to be more responsible,8221; said Scott Kronick, president of Ogilvy China. 8220;Historically, China hasn8217;t sought out advice, but that8217;s changed quite dramatically in the 12 years I8217;ve been here.8221;

The real test, experts say, will be whether China enacts basic, far-reaching reforms to shore up the 8220;Made In China8221; label.

8220;Their crisis communication skills leave much to be desired,8221; said Jonathan Bernstein, president of Sierra Madre, California-based Bernstein Crisis Management Inc, an adviser to several US companies on quality-control issues in China.

Chinese officials are products of a system in which the first lines of defence are to deny that problems exist and attack the messenger.

8220;Their instinct is to deny, deny until they8217;re forced to admit,8221; said Li Datong, former editor of Freezing Point, an influential weekly newspaper supplement, who was pushed out in early 2006 after a run-in with propaganda officials.

In 2003, after the SARS epidemic, Beijing enacted a formal crisis-management system with new laws, committees and a series of national, departmental and special-situation contingency plans.

In practice, however, coordination remains a problem, experts say. Although China has a history of reacting well to natural disasters, it is less adept at coping with more complex modern emergencies, including product-quality issues, said Peng Zongchao, a professor at Beijing8217;s Tsinghua University and visiting fellow at Harvard.

Chinese organisations also tend to respond best to commands from above or requests from below, Peng added, but recent emergencies call for more horizontal coordination.