Using Public Resources to Publish ' Works' by Xi Jinping: What is the Intention Behind This?

On April 21, 2025, He Jingshu, the wife of former Singapore Prime Minister Li Xianlong, shared an article on Facebook that claims Xi Jinping has always behaved like a gang leader during his 12 years in power. (Internet screenshot)

[People News] Recently, I learned from a friend that party members from various organisations in mainland China are organising educational initiatives focused on the correct view of political achievements. The primary material for this education is a compilation of Xi Jinping's speeches from different periods, titled 'Excerpts on Establishing and Practising the Correct View of Political Achievements.' Without even considering how many participants are merely going through the motions and not taking it seriously, the book's price of 20 yuan alone is enough to provoke a sense of lament.

According to official reports from the Communist Party of China (CPC), as of December 31, 2024, the total number of CPC members has reached 100.271 million, surpassing the 100 million mark. If every member receives a copy of Xi's excerpts, the total expenditure would exceed 2 billion yuan. This amount will naturally be covered by various units, raising the question of whether the CPC History Publishing House, the CPC tax authorities, and Xi himself are all reaping substantial profits from this endeavour.

It is important to note that this figure pertains to the revenue from just one of Xi's books. So, how many books has Xi published to date? If we consider that during his time in local positions, publishing books was a minor affair, after Xi became the highest leader of the Communist Party in 2012, his so-called works have been published in large quantities. Since the release of the first volume, 'Xi Jinping: The Governance of China,' in September 2014, nearly one book has been published each month, totalling over 140 books now. Additionally, many versions have been translated into various languages with funding from the Communist Party.

In comparison to the 22 books published by former Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong, 10 by Deng Xiaoping, 8 by Jiang Zemin, and 4 by Hu Jintao, Xi Jinping stands out as a remarkably prolific 'writer'. Considering his education level of only junior high school, one might wonder how many ghostwriters are involved in producing such a large volume of work.

With so many books released, it is likely that Xi's royalty income is substantial. A few years ago, a user on the X platform, under the name 'China-Japan Political Review', shared that according to public information, 'Governing the Country and Managing State Affairs' sold 13 million copies by 2018, 'Using Classics' had an annual sales of 1.1 million copies, and 'Important Speeches' achieved sales of 10 million copies in just two months. Additionally, there are over 60 other publications. If we conservatively estimate a total of 70 million copies sold, with a price of 35 yuan and a royalty rate of 3%, the total earnings would already exceed 70 million.

Thus, if we consider the more than 140 books published, how much has the Communist Party invested? How much in royalties has Xi earned? Is this an astronomical figure for the average Chinese citizen?

Furthermore, an online article titled 'Xi's Publications Far Exceed Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong' noted that a March 2017 article in 'China Reading Report' indicated that since the joint publication of 'General Secretary Xi Jinping's Series of Important Speeches Reader' with the Learning Publishing House in April 2016, the total circulation has surpassed 50 million copies.

In 2020, a state media article titled 'Basking in the Light of Truth, Gathering the Great Power of Revival' disclosed that 'The Learning Outline of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era' had exceeded 73 million copies in circulation just six months after its release.

The prices of the two books mentioned above are both set at 25 yuan. Even if the total circulation of these two books stops at 50 million and 73 million copies, the total royalties would already exceed 460 million yuan.

The consequences of spending such a large sum of money, aside from wasting paper, labour, and time, raise the question: how much brainwashing effect can it actually achieve? How many people are secretly criticising it? Videos from mainland China show a location filled with Xi's works in a garbage dump; does this not suggest that these books are essentially trash?

If the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were to allocate this money to support the elderly who cannot afford to live, the sick who cannot pay for medical care, students who cannot afford education, and the unemployed, would it not align better with the CCP's shameless slogan of 'serving the people'? Would it not help reduce the production of waste?

Nevertheless, the CCP prefers to squander the people's hard-earned money on matters that hold no significance for their livelihoods. This is not only to glorify the party leader and establish his 'supreme' status, but also serves another crucial purpose: to consolidate power. By employing formal high-pressure brainwashing tactics, even if party members within the system feel discontent, they are deterred from openly resisting.

Some may argue that the CCP is using party funds, not the people's money. However, according to the CCP's own regulations, the scope of income and expenditure for party funds does not include the publication of the party leader's works. What many Chinese people may not realise is that all of the CCP's party affairs departments, including the Organisation Department, the Propaganda Department, and the United Front Work Department, are fully funded administrative units. Their budgets are entirely covered by local financial allocations, which include personnel costs, operational expenses, and project expenditures, all managed within the government budget system.

Where does the government's fiscal revenue originate? It primarily comes from the various taxes imposed on the general populace. While China's official tax revenue may appear similar to that of some Western countries, when indirect taxes are factored in, the tax burden on Chinese citizens exceeds 60%, whereas in developed nations, this figure typically remains below 40%. The heavy tax burden in China is an indisputable reality.

When a regime takes money forcibly from its citizens, not to improve their lives but to produce a plethora of worthless publications, what kind of government is this? Such a regime is destined to be consigned to the annals of history. The march of history continues, and an increasing number of celestial events and earthly signs suggest that the malevolent regime of the Chinese Communist Party will soon be discarded by history, and that day is approaching.

(First published in People News) △