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Celebration with crowd and military on Tiananmen Square: China stages the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party as a large propaganda show
Photo: Lintao Zhang / Getty Images
The world already got a little taste of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party last week.
Hundreds of skyscrapers on Shanghai's "The Bund" river promenade shone, spotlights lit the night, light drones formed figures in the sky, including the symbol of the party: yellow hammer and sickle on a red background.
One could even marvel at the party flag on the facades of the western bank buildings on the Huangpu River.
A choral version of the Internationale played in the background of the propaganda video.
This is what China's communist state capitalism can look like at times.
The official celebrations for the 100th anniversary now last for a month.
What significance does the anniversary of the Communist Party have for China and the world?
Answers to the most important questions.
How is the anniversary celebrated?
The opening ceremony comes before the games.
This year not only in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, but also last Monday in Beijing.
At a mass event in the »Bird's Nest« national stadium in front of around 20,000 spectators, historical and propaganda images were projected, accompanied by impressive choreographies.
In addition to President Xi Jinping, members of the Politburo and Hong Kong's Prime Minister Carrie Lam sat in the stands - which is not a minor detail in view of the latest developments in the former British colony.
But the ceremony in the former Olympic Stadium is only a small part of the massive propaganda events that take place across the country. Cinemas are said to have been instructed to show propaganda films at least twice a week. University orchestras in different parts of the country hold concerts for the party, museums organize special exhibitions. A “Red Culture Train” is to be introduced in the Shanghai district of Jiading, in which interested parties can learn the history of the local party between two subway stations.
The most symbolic event so far took place on Tuesday in the "Great Hall of the People" on Tiananmen Square.
There, 29 people were honored with the July 1st Medal, the highest honor for party members.
The award winners were predominantly "everyday heroes," as a government-affiliated news site calls them.
Among other things, socially committed citizens, diplomats and soldiers.
Unlike usual, there will be no military parade this year.
Pro-government media announced a speech by Xi Jinping on Thursday morning for the opening event in Tiananmen Square.
But the celebrations will continue across the country in the days and weeks ahead.
Why is the anniversary important?
The Chinese Communist Party is the decisive (and only) political force in the world's most populous country. With around 95 million members, it is also the second largest political party in the world - only India's Bharatiya Janata Party comes up with more. Finally, it is the last and longest-lived communist party of the world. Historians are still arguing today about the question of why communism survived in China, unlike in the Soviet Union, for example.
The most important component is certainly the party's ideological flexibility. Above all Mao Zedong, his most influential successors Deng Xiaoping and now Xi Jinping have added new elements to the Marxist-Leninist ideology and made it an instrument of political control in the absolutist style. In the propaganda narrative, the history of China today is inseparable from the history of the party. In her name, Mao Zedong initiated the industrialization of the country, in the waves of purges of the 1950s, during the so-called leap and the cultural revolution, millions of people died. As an absolutist ruler, Deng Xiaoping liberalized the Chinese economy and bloodily crushed the democracy movements.With his party philosophy, Xi Jinping wants to make China a world power - while the country is accused of serious human rights violations.
What is the domestic political significance of the celebrations?
For Xi Jinping, the anniversary is a great opportunity to remind Chinese society that he is the best possible party secretary-general and president.
In theory, he can rule for life.
In March 2018, the Chinese People's Congress lifted the presidential term limit.
Nevertheless, according to experts, the anniversary will be used to underpin the party's vision for the coming years. The successes of the past are linked to those of today. Historical images were also shown alongside current recordings at the stadium ceremony on Monday. The most recent successes of the leadership under Xi Jinping are the fight against the corona pandemic, the expansion of infrastructure and, generally speaking, the growing prosperity of the Chinese middle class. One of the most important goals for the future is the announced climate neutrality of the country by 2060.
Domestically, hardly any reports from China about headwinds seep through.
A few weeks ago, the working conditions of workers in the tech industry made headlines.
They suffer from too much stress, caused by draconian, in-house monitoring measures via software.
Otherwise, Xi Jinping and the parties still have a firm grip on the masses.
What message is being sent abroad?
Xi Jinping wants to lead China not only economically and militarily to the top of the world.
He also wants to propagate his model of government as an alternative to Western democracies, say experts.
Unsurprisingly, the anniversary of the Communist Party should convey the most successful image possible of China in contrast to the chaotic, democratic West.
"The east is rising, while the west is in decline," the news agency dpa quotes Xi Jinping.
Tensions with other countries are growing, especially with the USA.
The critics focus on human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, the repression of opposition members and the closure of the pro-democratic newspaper »Apple Daily« in Hong Kong, as well as a renewed debate about the origin of the corona pandemic.
Will there be protests in Hong Kong on the anniversary day?
It doesn't look like it. Nevertheless, 10,000 police officers are to be deployed on the streets in Hong Kong and Victoria Park is to be cordoned off. There are no intelligence reports on protests, writes the South China Morning Post. In Hong Kong, July 1st is also the anniversary of the 1997 handover of the former British colony to China. Usually the pro-democracy Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) organizes a protest march. This year it will not take place for the first time, as most of the leaders of the CHFR are currently in prison. The new National Security Law enables the security forces to crack down on all kinds of political opposition. Smaller organizations have tried to register counter-demonstrations, it is said from Hong Kong. The police did not approve them.