(Dajiyuan Illustration)
[People News] The annual "May 1st" holiday has arrived once again. According to the original meaning in English, "May 1st" should be called "Labour Day," not the "Day of Labour" as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) calls it. Though it's just a difference of one word, the meanings are worlds apart. The CCP promotes the slogan "labour is glorious," whereas the original intent was to honour and protect the rights of labourers.
On the front page of the CCP's official media and military newspaper on May 1 this year, the main headline related to the holiday reads, "Singing the Song of Struggle for New Era Workers," with a smaller subtitle stating, "The Party Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, cares for and supports the working class and the broad masses of laborers." Compared to similar news on the same day over the past four years, the most striking feature of this headline is the diminished emphasis on the party leader.
This diminishment is evident in several ways: first, the party leader's name appears only in the subtitle and is not included in the main headline; second, instead of listing the party leader's name separately, it refers to "the Party Central Committee with Xi at its core," a phrasing not seen in recent years; third, the news is positioned in the right half of the front page rather than in the headline spot.
Let’s review the headlines and placements of similar news from the past four years.
On May 1, 2024, the headline read, "Xi Jinping extends holiday greetings and sincere condolences to the broad masses of labourers nationwide," and the news was prominently featured.
On May 1, 2023, the headline was, "Xi Jinping extends holiday greetings and sincere condolences to the broad masses of laborers nationwide," and it occupied the headline position.
On May 1, 2022, the headline stated, "Xi Jinping cares for and shows concern for the stories of workers," and the news was placed in the lower right half of the page.
On May 1, 2021, the headline read, "Xi Jinping extends holiday greetings and sincere condolences to the vast labouring masses of the nation," and this news was prominently featured.
Over the past four years, the way the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) media and military newspapers have reported this news has shown one constant: Xi's name has consistently appeared in the main headline, entirely separate from the "Party Central Committee," and highlighted in bold font. Furthermore, with the exception of 2022, this news has been placed in significant positions such as the header or other prominent areas of the newspaper.
The slight change in 2022 can be attributed to the high-level power struggles leading up to the 20th National Congress of the CCP that year. At that time, the economic and social issues arising from the pandemic had already led to dissatisfaction both within and outside the CCP, even giving rise to opposition voices against Xi. His bid for re-election faced resistance from other factions within the CCP. Before the situation clarified, Xi adopted a relatively low-profile approach.
After the conclusion of the 20th National Congress, where Xi secured a third term, the May Day news in 2023 was placed on the front page headline, serving as evidence of his power reaching its peak.
In the reporting over the past five years, similar differences have emerged. This year's news, while detailing how Xi "cares for" workers, also repeatedly emphasised the role of the "Party Central Committee with Xi at its core," focusing on the "Party Central Committee." In the reports from the other four years, it was stated that Xi "represented the Party Central Committee" in extending condolences, highlighting his actions. The 2022 news even referred to "Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee's deep care for workers," positioning Xi above the "Party Central Committee."
In earlier analyses, the author noted that numerous indicators from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official media and military reports suggest that a new 'Party Central' is taking over from 'Xi Central' in managing affairs. This includes various statements that emphasise the 'Party Central' and the collective leadership of the CCP, thereby diminishing the role of the party leader.
At present, following the official announcement of Miao Hua's dismissal as the Director of the Political Department of the CCP Military Commission, along with the 'disappearance' of several Xi faction generals, including Vice Chairman He Weidong, it has become highly likely that the party leader will lose military power. Additionally, Xi's influence over foreign affairs and personnel decisions within the party is also being eroded. The recent May Day news further weakens the party leader's position, signalling that the new central leadership is communicating Xi's true status to the outside world, while other news serves merely as a distraction from Zhongnanhai.
(Originally published by the People News)
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