During the Third Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the party’s official media Xinhua News Agency published a lengthy article titled “Reformer Xi Jinping,” which sparked discussions. However, the article was abruptly taken down before the end of the Third Plenary Session. Reports suggest that the article was criticized for hidden agendas, implying both praise and sarcasm towards Xi Jinping, leading to a direct request for removal by the Minister of the Publicity Department, Li Shulei. The President of Xinhua News Agency is Fu Hua. Analysts believe that the incident may involve power struggles and internal disputes within the propaganda system.
On July 15, during the 20th CPC Third Plenary Session in Beijing, Xinhua News Agency released the lengthy article “Reformer Xi Jinping,” portraying Xi as a “reformer” following in the footsteps of Deng Xiaoping, calling the so-called “New Era Reform” the “Xi-style reform.” The article praised Xi Jinping for inheriting and advancing Deng Xiaoping’s legacy, claiming that he has continued the “economic miracle” in China.
However, before the conclusion of the Third Plenary Session on July 18, the article was completely removed from the Chinese internet. Nonetheless, the Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po website, a major external propaganda tool of the CPC, reposted Xinhua’s report on July 16, and it remains available to date.
Speculations about the reasons for the takedown of the article are diverse. Some suggest it was due to excessive praise, while others point to it as a form of sophisticated criticism. Various opinions and rumors have been circulating on the internet.
On July 25, “The Storm Media” quoted an alleged “Beijing insider” familiar with the circumstances surrounding the removal of “Reformer Xi Jinping,” stating that the article was taken down at the request of the Minister of the Publicity Department, Li Shulei.
Reportedly, after the publication of the article, numerous negative reactions surfaced, drawing the attention of the Publicity Department. The insider claimed the article appeared innocuous on the surface but revealed a subtle agenda by the author. In the opaque political environment of the CPC, articles are often written with veiled meanings, understood by those familiar with the intricacies, and this article was deemed as having “ulterior motives.”
According to the analysis, the article consistently linked back to Deng Xiaoping, promoting Xi as the one adhering to Deng’s path for further reform. The author seemingly elevated Deng Xiaoping as the “sole legitimate” figure for reforms, with a hidden agenda. The author likely harbors reservations against Xi Jinping’s autocratic tendencies and, by magnifying his “achievements,” aimed to “praise Deng while subtly satirizing Xi.”
Commentator Li Linyi commented to Dajiyuan that suggesting the author of the article had the motive of “praising Deng while satirizing Xi” is plausible. Granting Xi the title of “reformer” must have sparked significant debate within the CPC, and someone might have intentionally orchestrated it. However, it is more likely that Xinhua News Agency genuinely intended to praise Xi, as the publication of such a substantial article would have required approval from the Chief Editor, Lu Yansong, and even President Fu Hua, possibly under instruction. “Both of them assumed their positions in June 2022 and certainly aim to express loyalty and vie for favor towards Xi.”
Li Linyi remarked that the takedown incident seems more like a propaganda internal struggle. Minister Li Shulei, the head of Xi’s propaganda system, is constantly vigilant for any hints of insubordination. The removal of the Xinhua News Agency article did not affect its reprinting by Hong Kong’s Wen Wei Po, indicating a lapse in understanding the “internal versus external” distinctions within the CCP’s propaganda rules.
Li Linyi emphasized, “‘Internal propaganda’ and ‘external propaganda’ by the CCP are deceits tailored for specific audiences. The strategies differ, and this time, Fu Hua and Lu Yansong arguably made a ‘politically insensitive’ mistake, likely facing reprimand from higher-ups within the party.”
Previously, on March 11 of this year, shortly after the conclusion of the CPC “Two Sessions,” on March 12, Xinhua’s English website published a six-thousand-word article titled “Reformer Xi Jinping.” The article praised Xi Jinping as another “outstanding reformer” following Deng Xiaoping, making comparisons between the two. However, there was no related article on Xinhua’s Chinese website.
Cheng Qinmo, Director of the Department of Diplomacy and International Relations at Tamkang University, mentioned to Dajiyuan on March 14 that the CCP’s propaganda system often employs such duplicity, speaking differently to different audiences. From the report by Premier Li Keqiang at the “Two Sessions,” it is evident that the CCP urgently needs to attract foreign investment to rescue the economy on the brink of collapse. Therefore, Xi Jinping must now show goodwill towards Europe and the United States, asserting continued reforms and openness to attract foreign investment, necessitating the use of Deng Xiaoping’s legacy.