China’s Political Discourse: February 2021: Staying Put for New Year

By China Media Project

The China Media Project (CMP) is a terrific resource for understanding PRC politics and how they are reflected in trends in CCP propaganda. Every month the CMP produces a report looking at leading trends in Chinese official discourse, and I am pleased to be able to publish these reports on Sinocism.

China’s Political Discourse: February 2021  

Staying Put for New Year

The defining event in February 2021 was the Lunar New Year holiday. As new virus outbreaks struck some areas, particularly in northern China, this brought new curbs on holiday travel. The phrase, “staying put for New Year” (就地过年), came to dominate familiar felicitations like “joy and peace” (欢乐祥和). In highlights for the month, we had a Chinese diplomat ask rhetorically why Chinese people could not use Facebook, and a Chinese journalist subjected to online violence because they appealed against engaging in the feudal cultural practice of “mass kowtowing” (集体磕头). 

In addition, a national conference was held in February to cel…