How a Once-Fervent Young Chinese Nationalist Broke Free From the CCP’s Propaganda Machine

July 1, the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, carries deep personal significance for the former ‘little pink.’

Two graduates pass by screens showing the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party in Wuhan University, China, on June 23, 2021. Getty Images

While July 1 marked the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it also coincided with a lesser-known date among Chinese dissidents abroad—Global Quitting the CCP Day—a movement to encourage Chinese citizens and CCP members to formally cut ties with the regime.

For 21-year-old Jiang Zihan, who once fiercely defended the regime online, the date carries deep personal significance. Now living in the United States, the former “little pink,” a term used to describe young pro-CCP nationalists who staunchly support the CCP online, says he once believed in the Party’s propaganda but has since had a radical change of heart.

A Childhood Shaped by Propaganda

Jiang grew up in Zhejiang, one of China’s economic powerhouses. As a teenager, he was swept up by the CCP’s nationalist fervor, fueled by state-run propaganda media.