Why Does the Communist Party Leadership Still “Sing Red” in 2012? by Gao Yu Lyrics
That same year (2008), two months before Liu Xiaobo was arrested on suspicion of ‘inciting subversion of state power’ in connection with Charter 08, Communist Party General Secretary Hu Jintao made a speech at the third Plenary Session of the 17th Party Congress declaring that "anti-westernization and antiseparatism are long-term priorities of our Party’s political and ideological line." He emphasized that "the Party must consistently strengthen the management of public opinion and propaganda, do a good job in managing media and the Intеrnet, and create a good еnvironment of public opinion for the recovery of the economy and maintaining social stability." The speech was a continuation of Hu’s address at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th Party Congress in 2004, when he was elected Chairman of the Central Military Commission and said, "In the management of ideology, we must learn from North Korea and Cuba." (Paragraph 2)
The 18th Party Congress will be held this year after a series of events—the Wukan anti-government protests, the Chongqing incident with Politburo member Bo Xilai, the Chen Guangcheng incident—that has exposed an unprecedented social and political crises in the "China pattern" and the "Chinese road." The response? Premier Wen Jiabao publicly announced that there is a danger that the "Cultural Revolution" could return. A government-sponsored ‘sing red’ campaign in Chongqing was launched to praise Chairman Mao. The purpose of China’s "opening to the outside world" 34 years ago was to reform "Mao Zedong’s socialism"; now an even bigger wave of "sing red" is being pushed by CCP leadership in their Zhongnanhai headquarters. (Paragraph 5)
Works Cited
Yu, Gao. “Why Does the Communist Party Leadership Still ‘Sing
Red’ in 2012?” PEN
International, 2012, pen-international.org/app/uploads/The-PEN-Report-Creativity-and-
Constraint-in-Todays-China.pdf.
The 18th Party Congress will be held this year after a series of events—the Wukan anti-government protests, the Chongqing incident with Politburo member Bo Xilai, the Chen Guangcheng incident—that has exposed an unprecedented social and political crises in the "China pattern" and the "Chinese road." The response? Premier Wen Jiabao publicly announced that there is a danger that the "Cultural Revolution" could return. A government-sponsored ‘sing red’ campaign in Chongqing was launched to praise Chairman Mao. The purpose of China’s "opening to the outside world" 34 years ago was to reform "Mao Zedong’s socialism"; now an even bigger wave of "sing red" is being pushed by CCP leadership in their Zhongnanhai headquarters. (Paragraph 5)
Works Cited
Yu, Gao. “Why Does the Communist Party Leadership Still ‘Sing
Red’ in 2012?” PEN
International, 2012, pen-international.org/app/uploads/The-PEN-Report-Creativity-and-
Constraint-in-Todays-China.pdf.