In building the myths and narratives of legitimacy, CCP leaders generally seek to establish continuity, connecting their gestures and plans to the political symbols of their predecessors while distinguishing and elevating themselves. In our May 2023 discourse report in cooperation with Sinocism, we analyzed how Xi attempted to build his political legacy around his distinctive push for special zone development with projects like the Xiong’an New Area and a new Shaanxi development corridor. These projects cannot simply be viewed as strategic responses to economic development needs, but must be considered also (or even primarily) as moves to emulate Deng Xiaoping’s creation of special economic zones (SEZs) in the 1980s. Back in March, during the annual “Two Sessions,” including the National People’s Congress, the official Xinhua News Agency published an article with the headline phrase “Xi Jinping the reformer.” This was an unmistakable effort to draw direct comparisons between Xi and Deng. In fact, the article said precisely that: Xi is regarded as another outstanding reformer in the country after Deng Xiaoping.
Mentions of the phrase “reform and opening” (改革开放) tripled for the month in the People’s Daily, with a total of 187 articles using the term — rating it Tier 1 on the CMP’s 1-6 scale for keyword intensity (热度) in the CCP’s flagship newspaper (see below). Another related buzzword, “comprehensively deepening reform” (全面深化改革), jumped from 79 to 272, rocketing into Tier 1, indicating prominence within the discourse.
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The Communist Party of China has long been a practised proponent of "flood the zone" (a la Steve Bannon). Both Bannon and the CPC are, of course, simply following in the footsteps of their shared propaganda grand-daddy, Joseph Goebbels.
QUOTE
Mentions of the phrase “reform and opening” (改革开放) tripled for the month in the People’s Daily, with a total of 187 articles using the term — rating it Tier 1 on the CMP’s 1-6 scale for keyword intensity (热度) in the CCP’s flagship newspaper (see below). Another related buzzword, “comprehensively deepening reform” (全面深化改革), jumped from 79 to 272, rocketing into Tier 1, indicating prominence within the discourse.
END QUOTE
The Communist Party of China has long been a practised proponent of "flood the zone" (a la Steve Bannon). Both Bannon and the CPC are, of course, simply following in the footsteps of their shared propaganda grand-daddy, Joseph Goebbels.
I like "Xideology." Almost poetic.