Chinese state media touted its paramount leader Xi Jinping as “an outstanding reformer after Deng Xiaoping” in an article specifically targeting English-speaking audiences. Experts believe this is an insult to English readers and reflects Beijing’s forced adoption of propaganda as its last resort, aiming to attract foreign capital.
State mouthpiece Xinhua published a nearly 6,000-word article on March 12, proclaiming Xi “another outstanding reformer” after Deng.
Deng’s reform and opening-up policy in the 1980s successfully shifted the populous focus from the regime on the brink of collapse to developing assembly lines and turning China into a world factory.
However, Xi has been known to have idolized Mao Zedong and downplayed Deng.
Notably, a Chinese version of this article is not available.
Cheng Chin-mo, an expert in international relations, told the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times that, referencing Premier Li Qiang’s report at the Two Sessions—the annual meetings held in early March—the CCP needs to attract foreign investment to save its nearly bankrupt economy.
“Xi Jinping must now extend gestures of goodwill towards the West, asserting his commitment to continuing reform and opening up to attract foreign investment. Consequently, he is compelled to leverage Deng Xiaoping’s legacy,” said Mr. Cheng.
The article claimed, “Xi Jinping has sounded the clarion call for reform.”
Mr. Cheng argued that Xi is fundamentally against reform.
“Despite presenting himself as a proponent of high-quality ’reform and opening up,' Xi Jinping’s insistence on authoritarianism and totalitarianism displays the characteristics of anti-reform,” said Mr. Cheng.
Xinhua’s article claimed that Xi eliminated extreme poverty, supported businesses, and achieved 5.2 percent economic growth last year, among other things. However, the Chinese economy has, in fact, continued to make record lows in recent years.
Lai Jung-Wei, an expert in political economy, indicated the article is propaganda to tell Xi’s narrative in English despite the so-called achievements being packed with lies.
He pointed out that Xi is advocating a nationalist agenda against democratic nations domestically but “presents his Chinese narrative to the Western nations in their languages,” said Mr. Lai.
Foreign investment in China has been on a downward trend in recent years. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in actual use stood at 112.71 billion yuan ($15.86 billion) in January, down 11.7 percent year on year, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. Given the CCP’s tendency to obscure adverse situations, the reality might be even bleaker.
Despite Beijing’s efforts through various official statements to allure foreign investment, its enactment of the Anti-Espionage Law, repeated searches and bans on foreign enterprises, and the involvement of state security agencies in economic governance collectively constitute coercive measures posing threats to foreign investors.
Mr. Cheng said autocracy and outdated economic practices have made it challenging to attract Western capital. He does not believe investors would fall for propaganda in the media, which often uses fabricated and deceiving data.
Analysts believe that comparing Xi to Deng shows that reality is embarrassing and helpless.
It’s widely believed that Xi’s overwhelming authority is on par with Mao. However, Xi was relegated to second place after Deng in Xinhua’s article without referencing Mao.
Mr. Lai said Xi indeed seeks to surpass Deng, but his leadership has failed to accomplish his ambition.
“Deng Xiaoping wanted to connect to the world with the reform and opening up, but Xi wanted the world to share the same destiny, and changed the current worldly order,” he said.
Mr. Zheng also believed that Xi Jinping holds Deng Xiaoping in contempt. “His greatest reverence remains for Mao Zedong,” he said.
However, the grave reality of China’s economic situation compelled Xi to abandon pretense. “The official media’s tribute to Deng Xiaoping serves to elevate him, aligning Xi’s image with Deng’s. It underscores the grave reality of the awkwardness and resignation pervading China’s current economic and even political landscape,” said Mr. Zheng
