State Media Fostering Xi Jinping's Image As China's Leader

In the era of Mao Zedong, the cult of personality reached its peak, only to become history during China's decade of reforms. However, analysts now see a possible comeback of the "great leader worship" under Xi Jinping.

Is China's President Xi Jinping following in the footsteps of Mao Zedong when it comes to personality cult? A study conducted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) recently concluded that Xi's name was mentioned more frequently in the People's Daily, an official newspaper of the government of China, than any other top party leader since the times of Mao Zedong.



The study report, titled "The observation of leaders' name transmission", was made public amid Xi's anti-graft campaign. Merely days after its publication, news broke out on July 29 that Zhou Yongkang, a retired member of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) highest decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, was placed under investigation.



The researchers compared the People's Daily's coverage of eight current and former top leaders: Mao Zedong, Hua Guofeng, Deng Xiaoping, Hu Yaobang, Zhao Ziyang, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping. The reference period was the first 18 months after each one took office.



Qian Gang, director of the HKU China Media Project and main researcher of this study, told DW that the political message behind the intense coverage of Xi should now be analyzed by the public and media experts.



'Chinese expect a strong leader'



Few people in China expected to see such a strong leader, says Hu Xingdou, economics professor at the University of Science and Technology Beijing.



"To a certain extent, it might be good for carrying out anti-corruption measures and constructing a legal system, in terms of promoting and establishing modern social institutions," Hu said. "Whether Xi could leave a legacy and become a national hero is really dependent on reaching this criteria," he added.



After taking over the reins, Xi Jinping launched a nation wide anti-graft campaign, vowing to go after both "tigers" and "flies", meaning high- and low-ranking officials. Many Chinese have been surprised at the scope and intensity of this campaign, as well as by Xi's aggressive stance.



Analysts argue that with this campaign, Xi is killing two birds with one stone. The crackdown helps the president to consolidate his power while weakening his enemies. Furthermore, it has boosted Xi's image among the public.



The biggest 'tiger' yet



By announcing an investigation into ex-security czar Zhou Yongkang, who was one of the country's most influential politicians, Xi broke a longstanding unwritten rule against publicly investigating members and former members of the CPC's Politburo Standing Committee.



It demonstrates Xi's firm grip on power. "Xi Jinping successfully took down a big tiger, which is very positive for his personal prestige", said Willy Lam, a Hong Kong-based scholar on Chinese history and politics.



Xi is now undeniably a strongman, more powerful than the last two presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, Lam said. "After Deng Xiaoping came to power, he established the collective leadership system, with a specific division of labor within the Politburo Standing Committee. The general secretary of the Standing Committee usually does not interfere with other members' work, but Xi essentially broke this mechanism," explained Lam.



"Some people around Xi are busy working on a Mao-style personality cult. That's why you will find that Xi appears in the People's Daily and on CCTV more often than any other committee members," said China expert Lam.



Embrace or despise?



Professor Hu admits the prevalence of a personality cult in China. "Chinese people confront problems in the real world and see all sorts of darkness and unfairness. They imagine that a strongman emerges, a hero who could change the grassroots situation. This is perhaps the social basis of the new cult," Hu told DW.



But for China expert Lam the strongman-concept is outdated. "Strongman-politics won't work," as China has loads of problems, and solving them depends on democracy, political participation and public oversight, he said.