Last week, one of the most popular phrases in mainland China’s social media was "Correct collective memory". This phrase is an outstanding contribution from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Ms. Hua Chun-ying. While the Western world condemns the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for covering up the truth at the start of the outbreak and manipulating the World Health Organization to cause massive damage around the world, China has published the white paper "China Action Against the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic" to praise itself in around 37,000 words. At a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 8, when a reporter asked about this matter, Hua Chun-ying replied in her usual shameless manner: "China issuing the white paper is by no means for defense, but for record. The anti-epidemic narrative should not be misled and tainted by lies, but should leave a correct collective memory for mankind."

As soon as her remark came out, it exploded into a sensation on China’s social media. Netizens questioned: What is "correct"? What is "mankind"? Who has the power to define correct memories and how are incorrect memories and people dealt with? Is what happened to Dr. Li Wen-liang an example of it? Why hasn't anyone invented a thought control machine? Regarding questions like these, the Chinese government always answers by its actions: if these questions or noises cannot be thoroughly removed, they will soon be submerged by the “post-wave” pride of the motherland’s victory in the fight against the epidemic. Even Hua Chun-ying may wonder: Isn't this what the government is doing every day? Why are netizens screaming in fear like they have heard it for the first time?

The thought control machine has been in operation for a long time, otherwise why do so many people believe that the June 4 massacre was a riot suppression? Why do they applaud at the CCP regime, which starved to death and killed tens of millions of people? With so many people killed for committing thought crimes, plus the achievements of the "Ministry of Truth", no wonder netizens do not know "how to deal with incorrect memories and people”!

Exporting totalitarianism to the world

The CCP's achievements in leaving behind "correct collective memories" have to a great extent surpassed those described in Orwell's 1984. In the novel, the Ministry of Truth works quite rigorously. The work of the protagonist, Winston, is to check and revise outdated newspapers every day to ensure that lies are consistent. Compared with today's CCP, this is really touching! Today’s CCP bluntly adopts aggressive and insolent wolf-warrior diplomacy, warning that “the law is not a shield and buckler”, proclaiming that the Sino-British Joint Declaration is an “expired historical document”, and insisting that the novel coronavirus was brought to Wuhan by American soldiers.

What is really worth wondering and minutely examining is: Why does the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have to do this dirty work? Why is there no Foreign Ministry spokesperson in 1984? In 1984, international relations consist of only a "Ministry of Peace" which is responsible for pretending to fight with two other big powers so as to maintain a sentiment of nationalism among its people. Orwell wrote: "Under this lies a fact never mentioned aloud, but tacitly understood and acted upon: namely, that the conditions of life in all three super-states are very much the same"; "Actually the three philosophies are barely distinguishable, and the social systems which they support are not discernible at all."

1984 does not have a Ministry of Foreign Affairs because the world has fallen under totalitarian rule. This is what the CCP is pursuing. Saving the world with the "China Plan" has become the direction of China’s mainstream public opinion. Since Xi Jin-ping came to power, Chinese leaders who attend international conferences have no longer merely declared China's development, but also pointed out the direction for the world’s future.

Around this year’s June 4 massacre anniversary, I participated in two online commemorative meetings, both held on Zoom. As expected, both meetings were interrupted several times. Zoom’s founder and most of its R&D team come from China and are inextricable from the country. Surprisingly, on June 11, Zoom issued a statement. Unlike other companies that tried to avoid the issue, it openly admitted that it received notification from the Chinese government in May and early June and implemented its instructions. It said that the mistakes it made should not affect "users outside mainland China", and that users should not close the meeting but should instead block participants according to the participants’ country. As Berlin’s "Daily Mirror" commentary said: "Zoom did not try to white-wash its behavior at all. The company said that it would continue to follow the Chinese government's instructions on such ‘illegal activities’ in future."

This is just a recent example that has shown the ambition of the CCP to leave a "correct collective memory" to all mankind. In CCP’s grand plan of an upgraded version of 1984, Hong Kong is just beginning to meet its fate.

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