Xi Jinping and PLA daily
[People News] According to the Chinese military newspaper PLA Daily on December 31, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Daily, Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter, representing the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Central Military Commission (CMC) to extend warm congratulations to all the staff of the newspaper. In the letter, Xi emphasized that the military newspaper must “always adhere to the Party’s leadership,” “bear in mind its responsibility to serve the Party and the military,” and “maintain the correct political direction and public opinion guidance,” among other points.
The report also mentioned that the celebration ceremony for the 70th anniversary was held that day. The PLA Daily did not mention whether CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia attended, but it did report that Zhang Shengmin, who had just been promoted to CMC Vice Chairman at the Fourth Plenary Session, read Xi’s congratulatory letter at the meeting and stated that the newspaper must study and implement Xi’s instructions, referencing the “Two Establishes” and the “Two Safeguards,” and implement the system of chairman responsibility for the CMC.
However, such formalities are just for show. One key point in Zhang Shengmin’s words is that the military newspaper must “steadfastly spread the voice of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission,” without mentioning spreading the “voice of the CMC Chairman.” Is this normal?
So, what did Xi do ten years ago at the end of December 2015 for the 60th anniversary of the founding of PLA Daily? He personally inspected and visited the newspaper, conveyed congratulations on behalf of the CCP Central Committee and the CMC, “sent sincere regards to all the newspaper staff and retired personnel, and to all military journalists,” and took group photos with everyone. Ten years later, there is still “congratulations,” but the “regards” have disappeared—is it because he no longer has the qualification to “send regards”?
At that time, after visiting the newspaper, Xi also toured the 60th-anniversary themed exhibition of PLA Daily. He paused frequently, inquiring in detail about relevant matters, and said, “I have always paid attention to PLA Daily.” Afterwards, Xi visited the newspaper’s online publicity center, inspected the rapid publication system, and learned about the integration of military media development. He even typed on the keyboard and posted a “New Year greeting” on Weibo to the entire military. This was a clear demonstration of the authority of the CMC chairman who controls the military.
Moreover, after hearing the work report of the military newspaper, Xi delivered a long speech, in which he mentioned, “We must unswervingly uphold the Party’s absolute leadership over the military, always maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee in ideology, politics, and action, highly consciously safeguard the authority of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, and steadfastly spread the voice of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission,” “explain clearly the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission,” and so on.
In 2015, Xi’s foundation for controlling the military was still shallow, and he had not yet reached the “supreme” status he would achieve a few years later. Therefore, in his speech, he still emphasized the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, downplaying his own status as CMC chairman. After the strong anti-corruption campaign and military reforms, Xi further consolidated control over the military, and after the 19th CCP Congress, he gradually reached the peak of power. The status of “Chairman Xi” clearly surpassed that of the “Party Central Committee and the CMC,” making “Chairman Xi” the figure whom PLA Daily should praise, which is evident in the newspaper reports in recent years.
Today, the CCP military newspaper has returned to “steadfastly spreading the voice of the Party Central Committee and the CMC,” which once again confirms Xi’s loss of control over the military.
In addition, in 2015, accompanying Xi on the inspection of the military newspaper were two CMC vice chairmen, Fan Changlong and Xu Qiliang, as well as all CMC members Chang Wanquan, Fang Fenghui, Zhang Yang, Zhao Keshi, Zhang Youxia, Wu Shengli, Ma Xiaotian, and Wei Fenghe. At least on the surface, Xi’s entourage was quite substantial.
But ten years later, after the CCP’s Third Plenary Session in July last year went awry, Xi’s power has been continuously shrinking. Now, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the military newspaper, if the CCP wanted to demonstrate Xi’s status in the military, it could have done so just as it did ten years ago. However, Xi is now reduced to only sending a congratulatory letter. It really must be a difficult situation for both the CCP military and Xi, who have to put on a show.
(People News first publication) △
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