During a joint meeting attended by national political advisors from education, medical and health sectors at the fourth session of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Xi Jinping said, “before young Chinese, including those born in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s went out to see the world, China was able to view the world with a mindset of equality, so they are not as ‘provincial’ as older generations.”

The implication was that China had to look up to the world (that is, the West) in the past. In the mindset of Xi Jinping’s generation, Chinese people were regarded as primitive and poor, and were, therefore, looked down upon by foreigners. That generation believed they were despised and ignored because of this (which was not the case). Times are different now, and it is the century of the people of China. Chinese people have gone from rags to riches and can now stand on equal footing with other countries. He wanted to tell Chinese people that the world should see that China has become strong and rich, and that they should not overlook China, otherwise they will pay for it.

The online commentary of state-owned China National Radio (CNR) said that behind China rising up to view the world on an equal level are the great achievements made by the new China that has impressed the world. It has “become the world’s second-largest economy and is now a global leader in science and technology, sports and many other fields.” China’s confidence in its path, confidence in its theory, confidence in its system, and confidence in its culture are all becoming firmer than ever.

This statement, of course, is not a momentary sentiment of Xi’s, but rather a carefully crafted political scheme. Perhaps he and the Chinese of his generation shared this sentiment, but as an “emperor” of a country, he could not have made such a personal rant on this occasion. It was instead a political declaration to challenge the U.S. and promote patriotism, foreshadowing the general direction of political propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 100th anniversary this year.

First of all, Xi has elevated his personal status, thereby putting himself on par with Mao Zedong. Back in the days, Mao told the Chinese people to stand up and look at the rich and powerful in China as equals, so that they would no longer be oppressed (later, the Chinese were oppressed by another group of rich and powerful but that’s another story). Now Xi has taken it up a notch and wants the Chinese to see the world on an equal footing. The CCP is always looking to create enemies. In Mao’s era, it was a fight against class enemies, as well as American imperialism that never ceased to destroy us. Who are the enemies today? Of course, they are Taiwan independence, Hong Kong independence, Xinjiang independence, Mongolia independence, Tibet independence, and other countries such as the U.S., Australia, Japan, Britain, Europe, Canada and India. The “Five Independences” are undermining China’s unification, while the West is clamping down on China and preventing it from rising, so they are all enemies. Now he tells the Chinese that they can face their powerful enemies in the West equally, isn’t that exactly the four matters of confidence (path, theory, system, culture) he has been preaching about? The “Five Independences” enemies at home can even be looked down upon. Mao’s Great Leap Forward attempted to overtake the British and catch up with the U.S. within a short period of time, resulting in a great tragedy in which 30 million people were starved to death. The Xi Jinping era, on the contrary, has long surpassed the U.K. and is poised to run neck and neck with the U.S. That is his achievement.

Second, it resonated with the Chinese people. Given that the Chinese people from Xi Jinping’s generation believe that they were disregarded because of their lowliness back then, Xi’s announcement of an equal view of the world is tantamount to venting his bitterness for everyone, and is bound to be echoed by many people. Moreover, after years of history distortion, information filtering, and ideological education, it is clear that the history of the West’s invasion and oppression of China has been magnified. In the past few decades, the West has also been warped into being hostile to and containing the rise of China. The xenophobic sentiment in the country was already very high, and Xi’s remarks certainly made everyone all the more excited with a sense of pride and exhilaration.

Thirdly, there are many advantages of telling people to look at the world on an equal level. When everyone looks at other countries equally, all they can see is the limited and biased impression of the world given to them by the CCP. This only reinforces their perception of the world: the U.S., Britain, Europe, Canada, Australia and other countries smear China and denigrate the CCP, they are hostile to China but can no longer do without it, impoverished countries in Africa see China as their patron, and China’s great power is changing and saving the world. More importantly, when all Chinese people are looking at the world on an equal footing, no one will care about the real world they are living in. Everyone will be oblivious to the injustice, unfairness, special privileges, oppression, and suffering in their lives. A united China was naturally formed.

However, for foreigners, this is a giant baby mentality. A person whose body has grown into a giant but whose mind is still stuck in infancy. He has never fully grown up, wants to be pampered, appreciated and recognized, and cannot tolerate being despised, scorned and ignored. So, he wants the world to know that he has gotten rich, cannot wait to flex his mighty muscles, demands that the world endorse his words, actions and ideologies, expects the whole world to be grateful for his little help, gets furious when he is criticized, and snaps angrily when he is belittled. It is precisely because so many people have this mentality that they are naturally overjoyed when they are told that they can see the world equally. Can the one who made this declaration be not popular?

But the truth is, there is probably only one Chinese person who can see the world on an equal footing, while others crouch at his feet, lift him up, gaze at him, and worship him!

(Poon Siu-to, veteran journalist)

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