As the Chinese regime commemmorates the 130th anniversary of Mao Zedong’s birth, Chinese leader Xi Jinping faces challenges in securing his leadership, according to one China expert.
During a speech marking the significant occasion on Dec. 26, Xi touted Mao’s accomplishments in establishing communist China, downplaying the “historical mistakes” of the Cultural Revolution, and called on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to achieve the “modernization of China.”
However, “there is a fundamental difference in Xi’s talk this year,” Hu Ping, founding editor of the Beijing Spring magazine, told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Dec. 27.
In comparing Xi’s recent address to his talk a decade ago commemorating the 120th anniversary of Mao’s birth, Mr. Hu noted that while Xi continued to acknowledge Mao’s errors in launching the Cultural Revolution, this time, he placed a greater emphasis on prioritizing achievements over errors, stating, “Achievements take precedence, and errors come in second.”
Mr. Hu contends that this approach aimed at bolstering Xi’s standing within the CCP, with the ultimate goal of aligning himself closely with Mao, the founder of the Communist Party.
Persecuted by Mao
In his speech, Xi called Mao the “great pioneer” and “great founder,” among other accolades, portraying him as a remarkable figure of his era.
However, Xi and his family were among the victims of Mao’s political movements.
In 1962, when Xi was in elementary school, his father, Xi Zhongxun, was imprisoned on the charge of going against the CCP and subjected to brutal persecution during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), a movement that aimed at destroying the “four olds”—old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas—of China.
At the time, Xi’s education was interrupted, and his sister, Xi Heping, was persecuted to death.
Mr. Hu noted that during the 1980s, the second generation of Party elites and their predecessors harbored considerable disdain for Mao. However, they also acknowledged the necessity of Mao’s symbolic significance in preserving their rule. “The emblem of Mao Zedong could not be toppled,” asserted Mr. Hu, leading to a gradual shift toward safeguarding Mao’s image.
“Especially since Xi assumed office, there was a realization that Mao’s political tactics were conducive to establishing an authoritarian system. As a result, they chose to reintroduce and implement Mao’s tactics,” Mr. Hu explained.
Following last year’s 20th Party Congress, Xi saw an unprecedented increase in power, securing a third term as the leader of the CCP.
However, according to Mr. Hu’s sources inside China, the general public and CCP officials don’t trust Xi, who has been criticized for disasters created by his governance model, from the economic policy to foreign diplomacy and COVID-19 measures.
Mr. Hu said that people are afraid of criticizing Xi through media or online platforms due to his tight control over society.
Nevertheless, in private interactions, including social gatherings, there has been a noticeable “rise in individuals expressing criticism and disdain toward Xi Jinping.”
“Additionally, the increasing number of people seeking refuge overseas is unprecedented,” Mr. Hu stated.
