Hagan, Christopher Patrick, 1981-2009-03-062009-03-062008-12https://hdl.handle.net/1794/8713xi, 87 p. ; ill. (some col.) A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number.This project investigates how iconic images from the Beijing Olympics---e.g., logos, venues, and scenes from the Opening and Closing ceremonies-form a visual narrative in which Chinese history and identity are configured to meet the political economic goals of the Central Communist Party. I draw on semiotics and discourse analysis to suggest projected national images (Wang 2003) that are embedded within visual data collected primarily from the Beijing2008 website. Furthermore, I apply current theories in identity politics to these visual data to problematize the social construction of what the nation branding literature refers to as "brand China." I argue that the symbolic and emotive content of the visual imagery from the Beijing Olympics attempted to position China as a non-threatening, legitimate power in the Western cultural imaginary. Ultimately, I argue that the Party's lack of political credibility challenges the potential success of its Olympic image building efforts.en-USThesis