China hires global PR agency before Games

BEIJING, April 4 (UPI) -- Chinese officials plan to hire a global public relations firm to repair China's reputation before the Olympics in light of the Tibet protests, sources say.

The public relations agency will give advice to China on how to restore the country's global reputation, the Financial Times reported Friday.

A number of U.S. and British agencies have been asked to meet with Chinese officials to talk about the job, including public relations strategies to be used before the games, media background and market analysis on how China is perceived in the West, the report said. China has yet to announce its agency choice.

The Chinese government and media have spoken out against the global media attention Tibet has received, claiming violent actions against Han Chinese people are wrongfully left out of the picture.