Shannon Brandao
Shannon's excerpt from the article: "💯🏆Times of India [excerpt]: In an unpublished speech at a Politburo meeting on 21-22 December 2023, Xi apparently admitted he had repeatedly postponed the Third Plenum of the 20th Central Committee, which would otherwise normally have occurred last October.
According to sources quoted by Dr. Willy Wo-Lap, the reason for the delay was that Xi 'could not offer any viable solution for the nation's problems'. Allegedly, Xi went on to blame the 23 Politburo members and senior cadres for failing to give him good advice and for demonstrating signs of disobedience. His solution? Double down on ideological indoctrination. An intensified campaign via the National Cadre Education and Training Plan (2023-27) was launched last October to 'firm hearts and forge spirits'. Cadres will perform online self-study and in-person collective training, which becomes more intensive the higher that one rises in the hierarchy.
Even lower-level officials must perform 140 hours of classes annually. This is not about gaining more effective management skills for leadership roles, but unvarnished ideological indoctrination. Of course, party members will submit to these rigorous requirements because career advancement depends on it. Indeed, it is more important to be 'red' than to be an expert in one's field, which does not bode well for China's future governance.
Regimented indoctrination is the #CCP's solution, for Xi thinks ideological laxity is the root of his country's problems. He is afraid of 'historical nihilism', where people lose faith in communism, as occurred in the USSR. Even private businesspeople are wasting countless hours studying the principles of #XiJinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. These are the ideological trappings of a personality cult, even as the emperor is losing his luster.
Xi attempts to assure the West that China is open for #business as usual, but it is not. He has turned the country into a repressive and paranoid state, creating a smothering cocoon of fear, a new 'Great Wall' that battens down the hatches and protects China from foreign influence.
There has been a tremendous outflow of #capital too -$50 billion last year alone - from China's #wealthy and multinational corporations. #Banks are handicapped by giant entities like Evergrande, which is indebted to the tune of CNY2.4 trillion ($335 billion). No solution is in sight from omniscient Xi either, and the best they can do is stop publishing embarrassing data and warn businesspeople and #journalists not to spread 'negative #news'.
China's biggest headlines on New Year's Day were Xi exchanging greetings with Putin, and designating 2024 as China-DPRK Friendship Year alongside Kim Jong-un. It is clear who China is siding with - #Russia, which continues its brutal invasion of Ukraine, and North Korea, who is now supplying ballistic missiles to Putin. These are China's friends of choice."
#news #geopolitics