A few days ago, a journalist asked me if a grand gesture, like a release of imprisoned dissidents, would be a good pre-Olympic PR move for the Chinese government. I told him that I thought at this point any such maneuver, no matter how positive, would be interpreted as a PR stunt and greeted with skepticism. It would also set expectations that the government might be hard-pressed to continue meeting. This doesn't mean that I personally wouldn't welcome such a move, just that it wouldn't be the magic bullet to solve China's PR problems.

I don't think there is a single magic bullet. What I suggested instead was that China not to do one big thing, but to do a thousand little things that would change the tone of communication, defuse some of the current tension and provide better armor for deflecting criticism constructively. Some of these things could directly address criticisms already raised against China by audiences overseas, some could be simple improvements in communication process and content.

So, for example, I'd like to see: A lighter finger on the CNN and Internet censorship buttons (I was glad to see the BBC's website unblocked -- we'll see if it lasts); less readiness to prosecute dissenters (they should have dropped the charges against Hu Jia last week rather than sentence him, and treated it like no big deal); less blinkering and a less bellicose tone in the Chinese English language media; even greater openness for foreign correspondents and better adherence to the current policy; and so on.

Granted some of the steps listed above are unlikely to be taken any time soon, but even simple improvements in BOCOG's ongoing PR would help. I've asked several foreign correspondents about how BOCOG is doing and I've yet to hear a good word. This is apparently not the fault of their widely respected PR agency (gossip has it that they've been told their job is to take orders, not to tell BOCOG what to do), but simply Chinese bureaucracy doing what it doesn't do best.

But that's a real problem. If you can't successfully tell the good stories you have, you're certainly going to have a hard time countering the bad press. Some good steps for BOCOG and other government bureaucracies with foreign press responsibilities would be increased responsiveness to media queries, better spokespeople (more athletes!) and some effort to humanize a Beijing Olympics for which the current icon is a magnificent but cold steel-shrouded stadium.

A single set-piece will come and go, but small, ongoing steps could cumulatively help change the tone of communication around the Olympics. Even a little shift would be helpful. The current environment is one of confrontation and defensiveness, and the story that is taking up column-inches is how well prepared Beijing is to manage the dissent that will inevitably accompany the Games. That's hardly the best basis for a glorious August.

None of this would overcome the attention that is being paid to Tibet right now, and much of it is unlikely to happen. But I can dream.