Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Friday, March 11, 2016

Weepy autocrat

Is there an effort to humanize the man who demands that officials, media, and the people follow his wishes? Is this a way to make him more powerful? Will it work?

In Xi Jinping’s Tears, a Message for China’s People

It’s all right to cry, even when you’re the leader of the world’s most populous nation.

That was one message in an online report on Wednesday carried by several Communist Party and state media outlets that described a handful of known times when President Xi Jinping of China had shed tears.

The story… sought to show him as someone who feels deeply about family, friends, average citizens and model officials.

Souvenir of Xi Dada (Uncle Xi)

It appears to be part of a broad effort to humanize Mr. Xi and build a cult of personality around him, an endeavor that has gone beyond anything dedicated to recent Chinese leaders…

The story about Mr. Xi’s crying was first carried by a public WeChat account dedicated to reporting on the president…

The story about Mr. Xi’s crying was first carried by a public WeChat account dedicated to reporting on the president…. The article was picked up by the website of CCTV, the state broadcaster. Then it was widely republished by other Chinese news outlets including Xinhua, the state news agency, an indication that it has high-level approval from the propaganda authorities…

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