Yesterday the front page of the CCP’s official People’s Daily pushed strongly on Xi Jinping’s global quartet of signature policy initiatives ahead of next week’s Fourth Plenum and the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Today, the paper followed with a common propaganda tactic — quoting foreigners to rubber stamp the party’s wisdom and genius.
The piece, titled “The Four Great Global Initiatives: A Clear Roadmap to a Multipolar World” (四大全球倡议，迈向多极世界的清晰路线图), appears on page three under the “International Forum” (国际论坛) column — a typical and oft-used feature showcasing foreign voices that validate Beijing’s narratives. The byline belongs to Abdelkader Berrich, identified as an Algerian member of parliament and economist. His commentary faithfully echoes the framing from Xi’s Qiushi article, praising China’s “responsible major power role” (负责任的大国担当) in reshaping the international order. Berrich argues that each initiative “precisely responds to global challenges in specific domains,” together forming “a complete vision for pushing the world toward balanced development.”
This deployment of foreign voices is standard propaganda practice. By featuring ostensibly independent international commentators — particularly from the Global South — Chinese state media seek to demonstrate that Xi’s vision enjoys legitimacy beyond China’s borders. The timing of the “Four Great Initiatives” push is deliberate — coming ahead of next week’s plenum and the UN anniversary, as China tries to emphasize its role as a responsible, global power, and signal legitimacy internally within the party.
Echoing the language of yesterday’s promotional read-out on Xi Jinping’s featured article in the Party journal Qiushi (求是), the text of today’s article describes the “decline of the unipolar order” (单极秩序的式微) — a reference to the United States — as “an irreversible historical trend.” It positions China’s initiatives as the inevitable alternative.
The track record of the People’s Daily on foreign voices — in bylines as well as in direct quotes and paraphrases — urges caution around such examples of validation. Last month, the paper published a commentary under the byline of NBA star LeBron James, praising Chinese “enthusiasm and friendliness” and framing basketball as “a bridge that connects us.” Representatives for James quickly disavowed the piece, saying he had only ever conducted interviews with Chinese media. The People’s Daily issued no correction. When politics trump professionalism at the Party’s flagship newspaper, foreign endorsements — whether fabricated or faithfully rendered — serve the same propaganda purpose.
