An extraordinarily sycophantic question posed in a Shanghai math exam is CDT’s quote of the day:
“Thus far, Volumes One, Two, Three, and Four of ‘Xi Jinping’s The Governance of China’ have been published. If these four volumes are placed in a row on a bookshelf, they can be arranged in ___ different configurations.” – A problem on an eleventh-grade math exam at a Shanghai high school [Chinese]
The use of Xi Jinping’s selected works as educational material is not new. In 2023, China’s often-politicized college entrance exam, the gaokao, asked students to reflect on Xi’s turns of phrase, which the exam said “express common truths in vivid language.” As far back as 2021, Shanghai schools began promoting the study of Xi Jinping Thought as part of their curriculum. Another recent example of Xi’s burgeoning personality cult is the production of a Xi Jinping Thought-themed power-bank/speaker intended to allow on-the-go cadres to study Xi’s works while charging their phones.
For more details on this and other terms related to Xi’s personality cult, see our new ebook, “China Digital Times Lexicon: 20th Anniversary Edition.”
Today’s quote was originally shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @whyyoutouzhele:
网友投稿
上海某校高二的数学试卷：《习近平谈治国理政》1-4卷有几种不同的排法。 pic.twitter.com/N86YZUtxem— 李老师不是你老师 (@whyyoutouzhele) January 20, 2024
