Image is Everything

Seriously, no one knows how to fake it like the China. We've known this for ages from the bootlegging or software and films to the production of counterfeit goods.

Is there any reason to be surprised by the fake fireworks digitally inserted into the footage at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies or the using an image appropriate (read beautiful) child to lip sync the Hymn to the Motherland or whatever song.

Officials have already admitted that the pictures of giant firework footprints which marched across Beijing towards the stadium on Friday night were prerecorded, digitally enhanced and inserted into footage beamed across the world.

At the last moment a member of the Chinese politburo who was watching a rehearsal pronounced that the winner, a girl called Yang Peiyi, might have a perfect voice but was unsuited to the lead role because of her buck teeth.

Mr Chen said the initial hopefuls to sing the anthem had been reduced to ten, and one, a ten-year-old, had originally been chosen for the quality of her voice. But she, too, had fallen by the wayside because she was not "cute" enough.

"We used her to sing in all the rehearsals," Mr Chen said. "But in the end the director thought her image was not the most appropriate, because she was a little too old. Regrettably, we had to let her go."

"The main consideration was the national interest," he said. "The child on the screen should be flawless in image, in her internal feelings, and in her expression. In the matter of her voice, Yang Peiyi was flawless, in the unanimous opinion of all the members of the team."

As always image is everything when promoting national interests.

And the need to project beauty is universal.