Bookstores Become Sites of Subtle Protest Against Xi Jinping
Chinese bookstore shelf arrangements rarely go viral—that is, unless they contain a hidden message...
Jun 18, 2024
Chinese bookstore shelf arrangements rarely go viral—that is, unless they contain a hidden message...
Jun 13, 2024
In a letter dated May 31 and posted online on June 6, Jiang Mianheng—son of the late Chinese President, CCP General Secretary, and Central Military Commission Chairman Jiang Zemin—announced that at the age of 73, after “serving...
Nov 15, 2023
A fawning Xinhua article on Xi Jinping’s concern for citizens affected by natural disasters has become the latest piece of “low-level red, high-level black” propaganda. Intended to tout Xi’s steadfast leadership, it...
Nov 1, 2023
Chinese state media has announced that the late former Premier Li Keqiang, who died in Shanghai last Friday of a sudden heart attack, will be cremated in Beijing on Thursday, November 2. He will not be given a state funeral, but...
Oct 27, 2023
Early on Friday morning, former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang passed away at the age of 68. According to a government statement, Li died of a sudden heart attack “after all-out rescue efforts failed.” He was said to be resting in...
Jul 25, 2023
After one month without making a public statement or appearance, Qin Gang was removed from his position as foreign minister on Tuesday. At least for now, he will be replaced by his boss Wang Yi, who leads the CCP’s foreign...
Jul 3, 2023
A new draft patriotic education law submitted last week to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee is spurring spirited online debate. Broad in scope, the draft law includes provisions for the role of Chinese...
Jun 28, 2023
An antiquated Chinese political phrase enjoyed a brief revival when it was dusted off and used by some online commentators to describe the series of events known variously as the “Wagner Group...
Jun 22, 2023
There has been much discussion and dissection of the optics of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent visit to Beijing, during which he met with Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Director of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs...
Jun 15, 2023
Today, June 15, is Xi Jinping’s 70th birthday. The birthday itself is a taboo topic on Weibo. Commentary has been restricted to state-affiliated accounts, all of which relay identical pablum about well-wishes from friendly heads...
Oct 31, 2022
There was little doubt about who would emerge ascendant from the 20th Party Congress. Nonetheless, the numerous profiles written on the man over the past week reinforce just how much power Xi Jinping has managed to accumulate as...
Oct 26, 2022
The leadership changes following the 20th Party Congress not only entrench Xi Jinping’s power at home, but also solidify his vision for China’s engagements abroad. Official rhetoric in and around the Congress points to a...
Oct 24, 2022
Xi Jinping’s loyalist leadership reshuffle at the end of the 20th Party Congress has not only awarded him a norm-defying third term as General Secretary of the CCP, but also reserved the highest echelons of power exclusively for...
Oct 20, 2022
This summer, following a long travel hiatus due to concerns about COVID-19, Xi Jinping resumed his overseas and domestic travels. His itinerary has included visits to Hong Kong in late June, to Xinjiang in mid-July, and to...
Oct 19, 2022
Following one man’s daring political protest against Xi Jinping’s continued rule and harsh zero-COVID policies on the eve of China’s 20th Communist Party Congress, citizens and activists have launched a poster campaign in...
Aug 12, 2022
Two years and four months after whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang’s death from COVID-19, the “Wailing Wall” that emerged in the comments under his last Weibo post continues to serve as a repository for the hopes, dreams,...
Jul 20, 2022
Over the past month, Xi Jinping concluded a “victory tour” of Xinjiang and Hong Kong, where his visits after years of absence signaled the CCP’s firm control over the two peripheral regions. The spectacles also served to burnish...
Jul 14, 2022
A Chinese government official’s Weibo post lecturing Japan about the danger of amending its constitution—standard nationalist fare on the microblogging site—turned into a forum for criticizing a 2018 Chinese constitutional...