Introduction

Over the past century numerous waves of transnational media have washed across East Asia, with cycles emanating from various centers of cultural production such as Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul. Most recently the People's Republic of China (PRC) has begun to exert growing influence over the production and flow of screen media, a phenomenon tied to the increasing size and power of its overall economy. The country's rising status achieved truly global recognition during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the seven years leading up to the event, the Chinese economy tripled in size, expanding from $1.3 trillion to almost $4 trillion, a figure that made it the world's third largest economy, slightly behind Japan but decisively ahead of its European counterparts, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The scale and speed of this transformation are stunning. Just as momentous are the changes in its film, television, and digital media markets, which now figure prominently in the calculations of producers throughout East Asia.

China's "peaceful rise" is the organizing theme of the government's economic and foreign policies and, quite strikingly, it was also the emphatic message of the Olympic ceremonies staged by Zhang Yimou, the PRC's most internationally renowned film director. Named artistic advisor to the Games during the early planning stage, Zhang later won the competition to design the opening and closing spectacles, ultimately spending an estimated $300 million and employing 15,000 performers to produce undeniably the most visually striking ceremonies in the history of the Olympics. Such ceremonies are commonly perceived as one of the most important payoffs to governments that sponsor the games, for they provide not only an opportunity to promote national pride but also offer a chance to speak directly to a huge global television audience, estimated at between 2 and 3 billion people. Unsurprisingly, another structuring message at the Beijing Olympics was "harmonious society," a phrase coined by President Hu Jintao, suggesting the government's shift in emphasis from political struggle and economic growth toward societal balance and harmony. Issues like environment, culture, and quality of life are taking on greater importance with this policy transition, as is the suggestion that China seeks cordial and fruitful relations with its international partners, especially those in Asia. The opening ceremony therefore aimed to inspire national pride and to promote the PRC's regional and global prominence, while also seeking to reassure the world that its rising power poses no danger to others.

As in Zhang's films, the Olympic spectacle featured rich, expansive swathes of color that vividly defined each "scene," reminding the audience at turns of key innovations that China contributed to world history: paper, the printing press, the compass, and gunpowder. Like these turning points from the past, the ceremony suggested that China is today perched on the threshold of another momentous era in its long history, but one where Confucian notions of harmony and restraint tether the dynamic forces of genius and ambition. Interestingly, the scale of the event and the cast of thousands would have conveyed anything but restraint if not for the skillful choreography that Zhang brought to the event. Like a Red Square rally or a Busby Berkeley musical, the ceremony proved fascinating primarily because of the persistent tension between scale and skill, and between energy and efficiency. These contending forces were deftly managed by Zhang, but many critics also have charged that the director himself has over time been harnessed by the Communist Party and that in exchange he has gained access to lavish resources and vast promotional opportunities.¹

Once considered a renegade by government officials, Zhang now enjoys favorable opening dates and distribution arrangements for his films. In exchange, his movies promote messages that are complicit with the ideological agenda of the ruling party. Zhang for his part says he is more interested in entertainment than politics, and he claims to be most keenly interested in competing with Hollywood, both in China and around the world. Yet this, too, reflects government priorities, which now emphasize commercial and cultural concerns with respect to media, as opposed to a prior focus on their propaganda function...