CHINA NEWSPEAK

CHINA’S NEWSPEAK

Overwrought, clangorous, stiff and (just sometimes) surprisingly colorful, the language of Official China found in the Party-state media can be a challenge to understand in context. We do our best to break it down.

Latest | China Newspeak

A Fire That Can’t Be Extinguished

May 21, 2024 | Dalia Parete

As Taiwan’s new president took office, state media outlets in China were spitting fire. And nothing the new leader says or does, they write, can ever dampen the flames.

China’s Mouthpieces Go Quiet

May 7, 2024 | David Bandurski

In recent months, the unexplained disappearance of high-level ministers in China has fueled speculation about unease within the halls of power. What does it mean when the leadership’s most vocal mouthpieces also fall silent?

Talking at Cross-Straits

Mar 8, 2024 | Alex Colville

Media reports in recent days have focussed concern over China’s plans for Taiwan, drawing on apparent changes in the political language used by senior PRC officials. But a more cool-headed look at the history of Taiwan talk suggests these changes are more of the same obscurity.

From the Archive

No Class War Please, We’re Communists

Nov 29, 2023 | Ryan Ho Kilpatrick

The latest targets in China’s ongoing — and seemingly never-ending — internet rectification campaign include content that “incites class antagonism.” How did a Communist Party that lived and breathed class struggle for decades get to this point?

A Single Pager on the Biden-Xi Summit

Nov 17, 2023 | David Bandurski

With so much reporting and analysis to consume in the wake of the meeting between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, we break down China’s response by focusing on the country’s most important front page.

The Visual Language of China’s Official Press

Oct 20, 2023 | David Bandurski

Understanding the political messages of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) requires much more than mere summary and translation — and more even than close textual readings. Here’s a walk through the basics, looking at today’s edition of the Party’s flagship newspaper.

Xi Jinping’s Cathedral of Pretense

Oct 13, 2023 | David Bandurski

With the addition of a grandiose new buzzword in China for culture and civilization, it may seem that a towering future is on the horizon. We take a hard look at the foundations of “Xi Jinping Thought on Culture.”

What Does Xi Jinping Mean By “Forever”?

Aug 30, 2023 | David Bandurski

During a dialogue with African nations last week, Xi Jinping declared that China will “forever be a member of the developing world.” Critics of China’s preferential treatment in the developed world will want to know exactly what he means.

Code Pink, Code Red

Aug 16, 2023 | David Bandurski

The China-related agenda of the “Women for Peace” organization might be taken more seriously as a call for respectful dialogue and cooperation if its narratives were not so closely aligned with those of the Chinese party-state.

The World in Xi Jinping’s Court

Jun 15, 2023 | David Bandurski

The visual treatment of reports in the official media on the appointment of Chinese ambassadors, and the acceptance of foreign ones, bears an important message about the imperial ambitions of China’s top leader.

China’s ‘Xivilizing’ Mission

May 4, 2023 | Ryan Ho Kilpatrick

Beijing says it has created “a new form of human civilization” for other countries to emulate, built around Xi Jinping’s theories. But what exactly is China talking about when it talks about civilization, and what will it mean for the world to be Xivilized?

Speak Plainly, Mr. Chairman

May 2, 2023 | David Bandurski

China is signaling to the world that it is ready to be a responsible global leader and peacekeeper. But to play this role effectively and credibly, its leaders and media will need to stop talking in code.

In Hong Kong, Learning to Speak Like the CCP

Apr 6, 2023 | Raphael Chan

CCP buzzwords are increasingly entering Hong Kong’s official vocabulary but are sometimes applied differently than in the mainland, suggesting a lack of understanding on the part of local officials.

CCP or CPC: A China Watchers’ Rorschach

Mar 30, 2023 | Ryan Ho Kilpatrick

The choice to use either CCP or CPC for China’s ruling Communist Party has become politically charged, but how did this distinction arise — and does it even matter?

Two Countries at War, in the People’s Daily

Mar 22, 2023 | CMP Staff

A mention of Volodymyr Zelensky in China’s flagship newspaper this week, the first in many months, could be a faint foreshadowing of Xi Jinping’s planned call with the Ukrainian president. But it comes amid more resounding messages of deepening partnership between China and Russia.

Optimization: Another Word for Messy

Feb 2, 2023 | CMP Staff

Over the past two months, the CCP leadership has sought to downplay the problems stemming from its sudden decision to dismantle rigid Covid control measures, insisting that all is going according to plan. State media have actively pushed the narrative that this has all been a skillful re-tooling of existing policies.

Whitewashing China’s Record on Covid

Jan 9, 2023 | David Bandurski

An official commentary published yesterday in the CCP’s official People’s Daily newspaper is one of the more egregious efforts to date to present China’s handling of the pandemic over the past three years as evidence of strong global leadership.

The Politics of Passing On

Nov 30, 2022 | David Bandurski

In China, the death of an esteemed comrade is never strictly a private matter. For context on the passing of Jiang Zemin, CMP runs this piece from the 2017 archives — on the politics of the official funeral.

Five Firm Grasps for the World

Oct 23, 2022 | CMP Staff

In a new buzzword emerging from the 20th National Congress of the CCP, Xi Jinping is front and center, and the whole world is encompassed by his visionary ideas.

Buzzword Babble

Oct 21, 2022 | David Bandurski

The study of keywords can unlock the secrets stored away in the CCP’s bewildering official reports. But using the wrong terms only adds to the confusion.

Puzzling Through Xi’s Political Report

Oct 18, 2022 | David Bandurski

In CMP’s latest 20th CCP Congress analysis, David Bandurski reviews some of the misunderstandings and pitfalls that arise from analyzing the keynote reports emerging every five years.

The Spirit at the Core

Oct 13, 2022 | David Bandurski

More important than all other matters of substance at the upcoming 20th National Congress of the CCP will be the question of how deeply the CCP commits to the dualism of Xi Jinping and his governing ideas as the formula for China’s future.

No “Lying Flat” on Covid

Oct 6, 2022 | David Bandurski

As China’s leadership persists in urging the necessity of rigid pandemic policies that have grown increasingly unpopular, it has borrowed a popular online meme and made it the object of righteous scorn.

Mixing Science and Politics

Sep 7, 2022 | David Bandurski

The CCP has long viewed science as both a crucial contributor to national development and as closely interwoven with political claims to truth as a source of political power. New rules for “science popularization” released over the weekend make this history painfully present.

All Aboard the Adulation Express

Sep 2, 2022 | David Bandurski

In late August one of the key buzzwords signaling Xi Jinping’s unassailable position at the top of the Chinese Communist Party seemed to be headed downhill. But there are signs that a rapid ascent is in store for the coming weeks, leading up to the 20th National Congress in October.

Changes at the Core

Aug 30, 2022 | David Bandurski

The “Two Establishes,” a key buzzword to signal Xi Jinping’s power and prestige within the Chinese Communist Party, had a stellar start in August. But it has rapidly lost its shine. What does this mean for the crucial CCP congress that lies ahead?

A Top Power Buzzword Goes Quiet

Aug 24, 2022 | David Bandurski

Now is the time to watch the key catchphrases of the Chinese Communist Party to see who is up and who is down — and what this might say about deliberations behind closed doors ahead of the 20th National Congress. One phrase has been oddly absent over the past week.

Hot Words Heat Up for Xi

Aug 10, 2022 | CMP Staff

One of the key Xi Jinping power phrases to watch in the weeks ahead of the CCP’s 20th National Congress is the “Two Establishes.” The term is trending red hot right now in the People’s Daily.

Putting Pelosi in the Corner

Aug 3, 2022 | David Bandurski

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan is headline news all over the world today, and China has voiced its “strong condemnation.” So why is the story pushed into fifth place on the front page of the CCP’s official People’s Daily newspaper?

Rocketing Praise for Xi

Jun 24, 2022 | CMP Staff

Loyalty signaling at the most senior levels of the CCP fired up further this week with words of ardent love for the general secretary from Zhejiang’s top leader, an aerospace engineer.

Pen Names for Power Struggles

Jun 23, 2022 | David Bandurski

A historical look at the internal system of not-so-secret codes by which those in positions of power in China can make their views known through the official media system.

Dynamic Zero and Greater Benevolence

Jun 17, 2022 | David Bandurski

Efforts to justify harsh Covid lockdown policies that have created a great deal of short-term pain for average Chinese have taken Xi’s defenders back to the ideas of the general secretary’s favorite forebear, Mao Zedong.

White Smoke, Black Smoke

Jun 16, 2022 | David Bandurski

As the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party approaches, the race is on behind closed doors to secure Xi Jinping’s power with near religious devotion. In recent days there have been faint twists of development in the pages of official Party media.

Generational Changes for Disaster Reporting

Jun 6, 2022 | Stella Chen

In amongst the commemorative articles that came with the 14th anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake last month, there were a handful looking back on what the disaster meant for China’s journalists. Owing to a combination of factors, the vast majority of those who reported on the quake in 2008 have moved on from journalism entirely — and reporting on disaster stories has suffered.

Curious Signals

May 26, 2022 | David Bandurski

Apparent inconsistencies in messaging within China’s leadership raise questions about possible differences over the exact nature of the challenges facing the country — and how to tackle them.

China’s George Floyd Anniversary

May 25, 2022 | David Bandurski

China’s state-run media are commemorating the second anniversary today of the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Not, mind you, out of genuine concern for the safety and well-being of Black Americans — but to distract from questions over its human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Politics on Page One

May 19, 2022 | David Bandurski

Speculation has been rife this week that Xi Jinping’s absence from the front page of the Party’s flagship newspaper signals his weakening position. But how much stock should we place in such absences?

Rewriting History for China’s Youth

May 12, 2022 | David Bandurski

Xi Jinping’s speech to mark the centenary of the Chinese Communist Youth League this week was meant to inspire a generation’s dedication to the ruling Party — but also to shape the dominant view of history in favor of the general secretary’s continued power.

Doubling Down on Dynamic Zero

May 6, 2022 | David Bandurski

Yesterday’s meeting of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP was a powerful affirmation of current policies on covid prevention — despite dramatic recent failings in Shanghai. CMP takes a quick look at the language of the meeting readout.

Persistence is Victory

May 5, 2022 | David Bandurski

As Xi Jinping has signaled that he will permit no compromise on China’s “dynamic zero” covid policy, despite the dramatic failures evident in the city of Shanghai, an old revolutionary phrase has come to signal his resolve.

Bending the Knee for Xi

Apr 25, 2022 | David Bandurski

With the 20th National Congress of the CCP just months away, expressions of loyalty, or biaotai (表态), are on the rise. Local leaders are eager to signal their obedience to Xi Jinping and his rule of the Party.

Pilot of the Great Revival

Apr 22, 2022 | David Bandurski

As the 20th National Congress of the CCP draws nearer, we can anticipate the creation of new catchphrases to talk about the Party’s glorious leader and his visionary leadership. The past week has not disappointed. We give you Xi Jinping, “pilot of the great revival” (伟大复兴领航人).

Weighing The Costs of Russia’s War

Apr 6, 2022 | David Bandurski

As horrific images and eyewitness accounts emerge of Russian atrocities in Ukraine, the flagship publication of the Chinese Communist Party focusses away from these brutal facts, centering attention on the supposed financial atrocities committed by the United States.

When War Isn’t War

Mar 12, 2022 | David Bandurski

While for much of the world the conflict in Ukraine is “Russia’s war,” Chinese media have opted for other terms, including “special military operation.” In this closer look at Chinese media coverage, we document this official framing — but also find some surprising and encouraging exceptions.

Western Surveys for Chinese Democracy

Mar 10, 2022 | Stella Chen

Three months after the US-led Summit for Democracy, it is clear that the re-framing of the global discourse on democracy is a long-term strategy for the Chinese Communist Party, which hopes to shift the focus from rights-based participation to results-driven government trust. With reference to Western opinion surveys, the Chinese media and diplomats are claiming the results are already in.

For Hong Kong, Important Instructions

Feb 17, 2022 | David Bandurski

A high-level directive issued by Xi Jinping on the Omicron outbreak in Hong Kong has been headline news inside the special administrative region. But one mystery is why it has not been reported at all inside mainland China.

Safeguards for Xi’s Stratospheric Rise

Feb 2, 2022 | David Bandurski

The Chinese Communist Party’s obsession with number-based catchphrases can be exacting for the outside observer. But this year matters can be simplified by focusing on just two crucial catchphrases: the “Two Establishes” and the “Two Safeguards.” These boil down to one simple message: Xi Jinping will continue leading China beyond 2022.

A Listicle for Cyber Control

Jan 13, 2022 | CMP Staff

China’s top agency for the control and regulation of cyberspace has released its list of top keywords for 2021. These are children only a controlling parent could love.

And Then There Were Five

Dec 29, 2021 | David Bandurski

For the past five years the “Four Confidences” formula affirming the strengths of CCP rule has been firmly in place, finally added to the Party Charter in 2017. But the so-called “confidence doctrine” now looks to be upgraded with a fifth addition — “historical confidence.”

Small Steps for “Xi Thought”

Dec 6, 2021 | David Bandurski

The appearance in headlines today and yesterday of the phrase “Xi Jinping Economic Thought” (习近平经济思想), a shortened form of the Chinese leaders legacy political phrase in a key policy area, indicates that the CCP is marching forward, step by step, toward the formal introduction of the potent “Xi Thought” — putting Xi on par with Mao.

Buzzwords at the Biden-Xi Talks

Nov 16, 2021 | CMP Staff

As state media report on exchanges between Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden during a marathon virtual summit, the emphasis is on red lines over Taiwan, and on China’s claims to a unique and inviolable form of democracy.

Unpacking the 6th Plenum Communique

Nov 12, 2021 | David Bandurski

The Communique emerging from this week’s 6th Plenum is just an appetizer offering a taste of the heftier historical resolution to be expected in coming days. But the signals are already clear when it comes the power and legacy of Xi Jinping.

“Hostile Forces” in the Digital Age

Nov 11, 2021 | Stella Chen

In the era of digital social media, when online flag-wavers can crowd-source their activities and self-publish their accusations, the discourse of foreign interference has become a regular feature of online attacks in Chinese cyberspace, with a wide range of groups and individuals denounced as traitors.

Deciding History, Sealing the Future

Nov 8, 2021 | David Bandurski

At the 6th Plenum, opening today in Beijing, the Chinese Communist Party will pass its third resolution on history. But all of the verbiage in the important document to be released this week will boil down to a simple political fact: Xi Jinping will lead the Party for years to come.

A History of Common Prosperity

Aug 27, 2021 | David Bandurski

Talk of wealth redistribution is in the air in China. And two words, “common prosperity,” have condensed hopes and fears over the changes to come. Where does the phrase “common prosperity” originate within the history of CCP discourse, and what can this history tell us about the present struggle to define the direction of China’s development?

A Fifth Center Rounds Out Xi’s Hold on Policy

Jul 8, 2021 | CMP Staff

Launched just yesterday, the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, dealing with environmental policy, continues Xi’s steady march toward the power and prestige of “Xi Jinping Thought.”

Another Milestone for Xi Jinping Thought

Jul 7, 2021 | CMP Staff

The launch of a new research center dedicated to a slogan used to encompass the economic ideas of China’s top leader marks further development toward the “banner term” meant to signal his power and legacy.

Raise the Banner High

Jun 30, 2021 | CMP Staff

One of the many things to watch on July 1, as the Chinese Communist Party celebrates its centennial with great fanfare, is whether and how Xi Jinping will use the occasion to elevate the status of his legacy term, “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism With Chinese Characteristics for the New Era.”

Xi’s Legal Buzzword Gets A New Center

Jun 28, 2021 | CMP Staff

The opening over the weekend of the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Rule of Law, located within the China Law Society, marks a turning point for a key catchphrase in the march toward the powerful banner term “Xi Jinping Thought.”

Slogans for Self-Reliance

May 31, 2021 | David Bandurski

China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and vision for 2035 build on the theme of innovation to emphasize the country’s strategic need for self-reliance as a global technology power. Here’s a look at one key phrase to watch that encompasses this goal.

Speculating on the Party’s Centennial

May 28, 2021 | CMP Staff

Even as slogans about the glories of the Chinese Communist Party proliferate ahead of its 100th anniversary, authorities warn companies against unauthorized attempts to capitalize on the celebrations.

Objective Falsehoods

May 14, 2021 | David Bandurski

For the Chinese leadership, journalistic objectivity hinges on the capacity of media to reflect the strength and legitimacy of the system as led by the Communist Party. All else is wanton bias.

When “Press Freedom” is Unpublishable

May 3, 2021 | David Bandurski

On “World Press Freedom Day,” or most other days, don’t expect to read the words “freedom of the press” anywhere in China’s media. The taboo phrase is now exceptionally rare, and reserved mostly for criticism of the West.

CCP Slogans for 2021

Apr 14, 2021 | CMP Staff

In a report yesterday, CMP noted the release by the Central Office of the CCP of a propaganda blueprint for the promotion of the 100th anniversary of the Party this year.

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