Chinese language President Xi Jinping delivered his annual televised new yr handle on December 31, and commentators have been fast to share their interpretation. Some have emphasised Xi’s passing reference to Chinese language reunification as a menace in opposition to Taiwan. Others have centered on Xi’s feedback about China’s economic system, framing them as a fearful response to Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president.
Nevertheless, these accounts miss the larger image. Xi’s new yr handle speaks to the growing insecurity of the Chinese language Communist Celebration’s (CCP) grip on energy. This insecurity is obvious in how Xi’s feedback, supported by the occasion’s management of Chinese language media, tried to gaslight the Chinese language individuals.
The mainstay of Xi’s handle involved the financial success of China. He confused that the Chinese language economic system is prospering, and defined that China’s whole GDP is quickly anticipated to surpass 130 trillion yuan ($17.7 trillion). This equates to a 4.9 p.c improve in GDP over the course of the final 12 months.
Stories on Xi’s handle within the Chinese language media have taken this a step additional. China Every day, the official CCP-owned newspaper typically used to talk the occasion’s place within the English language, praised Xi’s “heartening speech” and confused the impressiveness of China’s “outstanding” progress price. An article printed on January 1 defined that different developed economies struggled to common progress charges of 1.5 p.c.
Omitted from the constructive financial commentary of Xi’s handle is the fact that China’s financial progress has slowed, falling from 5.2 p.c in 2023. Though a progress price of 4.9 p.c is spectacular relative to different developed economies, it’s disappointing inside the context of Chinese language financial progress. China achieved annual progress charges of over 10 p.c within the 2000s, with GDP even rising by round 13 p.c in some years.
One yr in the past, in his 2024 handle, Xi acknowledged the challenges dealing with the Chinese language economic system. He promised financial interventions that might speed up progress and promote job creation to deal with worrying charges of youth unemployment. Nevertheless, regardless of these interventions, China’s financial progress continues to gradual and youth unemployment stays excessive.
It’s maybe obscure why Xi and the CCP admitted to financial challenges when China’s progress price was increased and celebrated financial success when progress had slowed. But it surely is sensible when thought of by the lens of “goal-shifting” – an act that goes past the constructive spin governments placed on their nation’s financial efficiency.
Aim-shifting is a type of political gaslighting, wherein a longtime purpose is “shifted” to at least one that’s simpler to realize. This has the results of permitting an unfavorable final result by the usual of the unique purpose to be offered as an achievement by the usual of the brand new purpose.
If we take China’s 2024 GDP progress of 4.9 p.c as the result, it may be considered unfavorably compared with China’s 5.2 p.c progress in 2023. Nevertheless, by shifting the purpose to China having increased GDP progress than different developed economies – a feat that was by no means really unsure – China’s 2024 progress price may be framed as “outstanding” in Chinese language media.
It seems the CCP is utilizing its affect and management over the Chinese language media to emphasise the financial message of Xi’s handle. In doing so, it’s gaslighting the Chinese language individuals by shifting China’s financial objectives to downplay the struggling economic system. On the identical time, the CCP is framing the relative energy of Chinese language progress in comparison with different nations as a hit of the occasion’s financial stewardship.
For the reason that Eighties, the CCP has relied on the twin pillars of economics and nationalism to uphold the legitimacy of its authorities. Economically, its legitimacy was upheld by years of excessive progress, which has lifted greater than 800 million individuals in China out of poverty. However, with progress slowing over the previous decade, the CCP has pivoted in direction of a reliance on nationalism.
The CCP and China’s nationalist motion have a symbiotic relationship. The CCP promotes nationalistic values in colleges and helps nationalist initiatives all through China comparable to historic societies, patriotic statues and museums. This offers nationalist teams a vested curiosity in supporting the CCP.
Nevertheless, this relationship is detrimental to the CCP in the long run. The CCP can’t constrain nationalist teams with out undermining its personal nationalist credentials. This has resulted in eventualities the place nationalist teams have acted in opposition to the CCP’s needs, together with launching cyber assaults each in China and overseas.
The dual-pillar mannequin the CCP has relied on for many years is faltering. In his earlier new yr handle, Xi took the unprecedented step of acknowledging China’s financial struggles. Reluctant to stir nationalist sentiment, the CCP tried to make use of the financial pillar by betting on a reversal of financial fortunes in 2024. This reversal did not materialize.
The CCP has grow to be more and more insecure, so Xi’s 2025 new yr handle adjusted the objectives for judging China’s financial efficiency. In the meantime, the occasion inspired reporting that supported Xi’s handle, spinning China’s slowing progress and worsening financial woes as a “outstanding” financial achievement.
This text was initially printed on The Dialog. Learn the unique article.
