China feels that its country lacks patriotism.A new law aims to change that

Hong Kong
CNN
—

On a crisp December day, middle school students in Fuzhou, southeast China, gathered in a rural park to learn about the thoughts of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

They unfurled red banners declaring the outing a “walking classroom of politics and ideology” and called for enlightenment by following in the footsteps of Xi’s 2021 visit to the neighborhood, according to state-run local news outlets. That’s what it means.

Another group of young people from the northern coastal city of Tianjin visited the fort to reflect on the “tragic history of Chinese resistance to foreign invasion.”

The trip is part of China’s growing nationalist education efforts in recent years, codified in a sweeping new law that took effect earlier this week.

Its “Patriotic Education Law,” which aims to “increase national unity,” provides a link to the work and study of everyone, from the youngest children to workers and professionals in all fields, to the country and the Chinese Communist Party. It is mandatory to incorporate love.

This is aimed at helping China “unify thought” and “combine the strength of its people for the cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation,” a Chinese propaganda official said at a press conference last month.

Patriotism and propaganda have been an integral part of education, corporate culture and life in China since the founding of the People’s Republic nearly 75 years ago, and the call for love for the motherland and the Communist Party is by no means new.

And Chinese nationalism has flourished under Xi Jinping, the country’s most authoritarian leader in decades. Xi Jinping has vowed to “rejuvenate” China to a position of global power and prominence and is encouraging bellicose “wolf warrior” diplomacy amid rising tensions with the West.

Ultranationalism is rampant on social media, and anyone seen as disrespecting China, from live streamers and comedians to foreign brands, will face intense backlash and boycotts.

The new rules mark the latest expansion of Mr. Xi’s efforts to deepen the party’s presence in all aspects of public and private life.

But this time, it also echoes China’s years of strict COVID-19 control measures, with young people across the country taking to the streets in unprecedented protests against the Xi government and its rules, ending in late 2022. .

And with the economy in decline and youth unemployment at record highs, dissatisfaction is likely to rise further.

Experts said the Chinese government may see the new legal framework as a way to increase nationalism and consolidate its power to ensure social stability amid the challenges ahead.

For years, China has relied on its citizens to support its vision through a kind of tacit “social contact,” but “the next few years are going to be a rocky road,” said a professor at the university who specializes in Chinese politics. Associate Professor Jonathan Sullivan said. of Nottingham.

“If there is a prolonged economic downturn, that could pose challenges…They are working to completely shut down politically correct thinking and doubt that the Party’s way is the only way for China. “If you love China, you should also love the Party,” he said.

In response to the large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations that erupted in Hong Kong in 2019, that message has been firmly engraved in Hong Kong, where there was once an outspoken voice.

Since then, the Chinese government has made clear that it wants to cultivate a new generation of patriots in the city, introducing patriotic education regulations and political regulations that bar anyone deemed unpatriotic from running for office. ing.

The introduction of this law also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st. Authorities will be under pressure to ensure a celebration of patriotism and stamp out any potential dissent.

Under the law, professionals from scientists to athletes are required to develop individuals who profess “patriotic sentiments and actions that bring glory to the country.”

Local governments are required to use cultural assets such as museums and traditional Chinese festivals to “increase feelings of country and family,” and to strengthen patriotic education through news reports, broadcasts, and films.

Religious groups must also “strengthen religious officials and believers’ sense of patriotism and the rule of law,” a provision in line with China’s push to “sinicize” and tighten control over religion.

The latest law follows the Ministry of Education’s 2016 directive to introduce comprehensive patriotism education at every stage and in all aspects of school education, which plays a key role in the new uniform law.

There’s also a smartphone app for people to “learn about the new socialist ideology” (including a lesson on “How Grandpa Xi led us into a new era”) and a smartphone app for adults to read about Mr. Xi’s latest theories. It also follows past efforts, such as a smartphone app for answering quizzes. .

The latter was considered a success in terms of downloading, as all 90 million Communist Party members were ordered to use it, along with many employees of state-owned enterprises.

The new regulations ensure that patriotic education is integrated into school subjects and materials “in all grades and in all types of educational institutions,” while at home parents guide their children and encourage them to participate in patriotic activities. is required to be encouraged.

“(This) has to do with Xi’s consolidation of power. He wants patriotic education to start early,” said Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. .

He said the move aims to foster a mindset of loyalty to Mr. Xi from an early age, while the Chinese government is now focused on consolidating Mr. Xi’s power after the economic boom of the past decade. The aim is to send this message to a wide range of people.

The new law also mandates that cultural institutions such as museums and libraries be used as sites for patriotic education activities, and that tourist spots be transformed into places that “stimulate patriotism.”

Schools are required to organize trips for students to visit these locations, which authorities call “walking classrooms of politics and ideology.”

While such trips were not uncommon in the past, the law now officially requires schools to do so.

China has other laws aimed at stamping out unpatriotic behavior, such as bans on desecrating the national flag and insulting soldiers. And in recent years under Xi, any dissent within China, even in the form of online comments that do not toe the party line, is enough to get people into trouble with authorities.

But Ye Ruiping, a senior law lecturer at New Zealand’s Victoria University of Wellington, said the latest law appears to suggest penalties for actions not already punishable under current law.

For example, actions that “advocate, glorify or deny acts of aggression, war, or genocide” or “destroy patriotic educational facilities” could be punishable, he said.