China under Xi Jinping: "Wrong thinking is forbidden"

Merkur China under Xi Jinping: "Wrong thinking is forbidden" Status: October 15, 2024, 11:12 a.m. By: Sven Hauberg "That's a pretty scary idea": Expert Steve Tsang explains in an interview what plans Xi Jinping has for China, Taiwan and the world. If you want to know what makes perhaps the most powerful man in the world tick, you have to read Xi Jinping's writings and listen to his speeches. That's what China expert Steve Tsang believes. Together with his colleague Olivia Cheung, he analyzes the Chinese head of state and party's world of thought in the book "The Political Thought of Xi Jinping." Xi's ideology, the "Xi Jinping Thought," was first mentioned in 2017 and included in China's constitution a year later. "Xi Jinping wants to change China and the whole world," says Tsang in an interview. "For him, Taiwan is part of China's resurgence." Mr. Tsang, why should we in the West be concerned with "Xi Jinping Thought"? Xi Jinping is not just another Chinese leader. He wants to fundamentally change China and the whole world. His thoughts and ideas have real consequences. "Xi Jinping Thought" is becoming something like the Chinese state ideology. What are the consequences? Everyone in China, whether they are a member of the Communist Party or not, is told what to think by Xi Jinping. Xi uses his ideology to brainwash people. So that they think the way he wants them to. He wants to shape people's minds. Xi's ultimate goal is to turn China into a country and a people that unite under one ideology, one party and one leader. And anyone who wants to turn 1.4 billion people into one people must control how they think. Wrong thinking is forbidden under Xi. About the person Professor Steve Tsang heads the China Institute at SOAS University of London. He previously taught at Oxford, among other places. Tsang's most recent publication is "The Political Thought of Xi Jinping" (with Olivia Cheung). Steve Tsang Steve Tsang © SOAS University of London "Under Xi Jinping, China is no longer just an authoritarian country, it is becoming increasingly totalitarian" Is Xi afraid of his own people? Oh yes, he is. It's actually absurd: Under Xi, China is no longer just an authoritarian country, it is becoming increasingly totalitarian. And yet Xi is constantly afraid of losing control. Not so much because he believes the USA could overthrow the Communist Party. For him, the danger comes from within. That is why, in his view, the people must be educated to think correctly - to think "Xi Jinping-style". How successful is he at this? The "Xi Jinping Thought" is all-encompassing; there are no areas it does not cover. It is taught in schools and universities and is constantly present everywhere in China. Nevertheless, Xi Jinping cannot, of course, convince every Chinese of all his ideas. But that is not the point. The crucial point for him is a nationalism that brings the whole people together under the leadership of the party. According to the motto: Chinese are great, foreigners are evil, Uighurs and other minorities are problematic because they do not behave as real Chinese people are expected to. And that works because the overwhelming majority of the population are Han Chinese. You write in your book that Xi Jinping is China's "strong man," but not yet a dictator. The benchmark for a Chinese dictator is Mao Zedong. Mao ruled China for 27 years, some of that time as a dictator. What he said had to be implemented by the rest of the party. Anyone who opposed it had to endure extreme consequences. That is not the case today. The fact that Xi has to constantly repeat his messages shows that not everyone is behaving the way he would like them to. Or take the “flat-laying” movement… … young people who are resisting the pressures of working life instead of working as hard as the regime demands. That is passive resistance! Or look at Chinese officials, many of whom only do the minimum of what is required of them. Because that is safer than doing too much and possibly making mistakes. “Why should we believe that Xi Jinping only wants to become as powerful as Mao?” Does Xi Jinping want to become a dictator like Mao? Why should we believe that Xi only wants to become as powerful as Mao? He wants more, he wants to make China great again. “Make China great again” is his goal. Xi Jinping still has a lot planned. By 2049, the “Chinese dream” of China’s rise should have come true. China is supposed to be rich and powerful by the 100th anniversary of its founding. Exactly. And we see no signs that Xi Jinping will one day give up power. He doesn't even allow discussions about a possible successor.