On Party Anniversary, China Rewrites History

The Chinese Communist Party’s 90th birthday was more recent than you might think. From the New York Times:

When President Hu Jintao said in a pomp-filled ceremony in the Great Hall of the People on July 1, “The Communist Party of China was founded 90 years ago today,” and, “From then on, the Chinese people embarked on the bright road of striving for independence and liberation and the glorious pursuit of prosperity and strength,” he was wrong.

About the date, anyway ….

The mistake matters, said Zhou Xun, a historian at the University of Hong Kong.

“It’s actually rather important,” Ms. Zhou said. “We’re talking about real historical events and real historical truth.”

“This is a good example of how the party makes up all kinds of things, such as events, historical figures, and how they eliminate facts. It’s just a constant thing,” she said ….

“They want you to remember what they want to tell you, and not what the truth is, whether you know already or not. And even after you know, it still doesn’t matter.”

See also CDT’s collection of coverage of the Party’s flamboyant 90th anniversary gun-jumping.

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