On the day the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) opened, the CCP official media Xinhua News Agency published a lengthy article titled “Reformist Xi Jinping.” However, soon after, this article was suddenly taken down from the internet in mainland China. Our reporters found that some Hong Kong media outlets still carried excerpts or reports on it.
July 15th marked the opening of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP in Beijing. The party-state media Xinhua News Agency released the article “Reformist Xi Jinping,” depicting Xi Jinping as “another outstanding reformist after Deng Xiaoping” and portraying the new era of reforms as “Xi-style reform.” However, the next day after the article was published, rumors started circulating that it had been taken down.
On the 17th, reporters from Epoch Times found that the article was unsearchable on Baidu.
However, when searched on Google, apart from foreign media such as Radio Free Asia, Radio France Internationale, and The Straits Times, Hong Kong media outlets like Ta Kung Pao, Wen Wei Po, and “Hong Kong 01” had reprints or related reports on the article.
Independent political commentator and columnist Cai Shenkun posted on the social platform X on the 17th, saying, “Something strange happened during the Third Plenary Session. Xinhua News Agency’s meticulously crafted feature article ‘Reformist Xi Jinping’ was taken down shortly after its release. Some believe that this article is a classic case of praising while undermining, but I think it’s more about taking credit for Deng Xiaoping’s reform and opening-up achievements since Xi Jinping doesn’t particularly like Deng Xiaoping’s policies. In any case, this feature article, which is embarrassing for Xi Jinping, is best taken down.”
Prior to Xinhua News Agency releasing “Reformist Xi Jinping,” current affairs commentator Li Linyi told Epoch Times that labeling Xi with this title had sparked significant debate within the CCP leadership, as the party’s politics are actually regressing back to the Mao era. It wasn’t until the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee that this title was officially introduced.
Li Linyi believed that given the vast power Xi Jinping wields, there was no need to pursue such an empty title. The reason the authorities sought this title was that there was considerable dissatisfaction with Xi within the party, and this move was made to silence critics. This approach clearly demonstrates that the CCP is currently facing a severe crisis.