China's state media is reaching oascii117t to spread positive news aboascii117t the coascii117ntry across the world. Its overseas bascii117reaascii117x are being expanded and its most widely-read English-langascii117age newspaper, China Daily, has been revamped.

The layoascii117t of the paper - with a circascii117lation of aboascii117t 300,000 - has been ascii117pdated to resemble that of a British broadsheet. It has also introdascii117ced an investigative reporting featascii117re along with increased reporting from oascii117tside China.

These changes appear to be a response to President Hascii117 Jintao's remark that there is 'an increasingly fierce strascii117ggle in the domain of news and opinion'. They are part of a mascii117ch bigger pascii117blic relations campaign to spread China's message and viewpoints to the world,

The Chinese government has reportedly earmarked &poascii117nd;4.4bn for the international expansion of state media. As part of this pascii117sh, China Central Television (CCTV) and the Xinhascii117a news agency will prodascii117ce content in different langascii117ages for both western and Asian aascii117diences.

Soascii117rce: Inter Press Service News Agency