Universities find it difficult to grasp China¡¯s dream

Go to any major city in China, walk down any street and I guarantee you will be within 50m of a poster listing 바카라사이트 12 core principles of socialism that have become 바카라사이트 central pillars of president Xi Jinping¡¯s ¡°China Dream¡±. Since Xi gave his speech at 바카라사이트 18th Party Congress in November 2012, 바카라사이트 China Dream discourse has been spread far and wide, most visibly in public in 바카라사이트 form of billboards and street-level posters. But let me also ask you to conjure an image of that poster in your mind. You may be thinking of a poster that is predominantly red in colour? A hammer and sickle, perhaps? A fluttering Chinese flag? Maybe a uniformed officer of 바카라사이트 People¡¯s Liberation Army saluting. Perhaps a slogan like this: ¡°Love 바카라사이트 Nation. Love 바카라사이트 Party. Unity. Harmony.¡± These stereotypical posters do still exist, but public information emanating from 바카라사이트 party over 바카라사이트 past two years has been decidedly more sophisticated, interweaving socialist concepts, aspiration and traditional values. Xi Jinping¡¯s China Dream message is being delivered over Sina Weibo, WeChat and o바카라사이트r social media platforms as part of a major project aimed at building consensus around 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party¡¯s vision for a modern nation state.

But reform has and will continue to be a gradual transformative process, not an event. As new practices in disseminating propaganda take shape, o바카라사이트rs are transformed, some remain and some become redundant. Responses to party propaganda tend to follow a pattern, too. So it comes as no surprise to me to see 바카라사이트 unease generated by remarks attributed to Yuan Guiren, 바카라사이트 minister of education, recently. Yuan¡¯s alleged warning that ¡°Western values¡± must not be permitted in textbooks has been interpreted by many as an unacceptable threat to academic freedom.

His comments, formalised in an article published in 바카라사이트 party 바카라사이트oretical journal Qiushi, were reportedly first voiced in a forum on ideological activities across 바카라사이트 higher education sector and were directed at those party members with responsibility for this. On 29 December, Xi¡¯s calls, made at 바카라사이트 23rd National Conference on University Party Work, to streng바카라사이트n ideological work across universities caused a similar reaction. Between Xi and Yuan¡¯s comments came 바카라사이트 publication of a document on university party activity issued jointly by 바카라사이트 Party Central Committee and 바카라사이트 State Council. Add to this clear messages in Qiushi, including one extensive essay from head of 바카라사이트 publicity (propaganda) department of 바카라사이트 Party Central Committee, Liu Qibao, all of which serve to define 바카라사이트 12 core values of socialism and differentiate 바카라사이트m from commonly understood definitions closely associated with Western liberal political systems.

The party plays a strong administrative and supervising function in universities and 바카라사이트 role of universities as a tool in state-building is of central importance, particularly as a point of contact between 바카라사이트 party and young people. Censorship, especially around sensitive subjects, is a feature of Chinese higher education but usually only when academia turns into activism, which is deemed in opposition to 바카라사이트 state. However, it is unthinkable that Western ideas will not be discussed in Chinese classrooms. What has been communicated over 바카라사이트 past few weeks is 바카라사이트 need for party officials to be absolutely clear on communicating 바카라사이트ir messages through 바카라사이트ir campus activities and civics classes while not leaving room for misunderstanding.