100 years of censorship, terror and lies: the Chinese Communist Party prepares to celebrate its anniversary

Yuris Paiders, Latvia

Today we take a look at this "monster" and try to understand why this political "force" is slowly destroying China and its relations with the rest of the world.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the ruling party of the People's Republic of China, that is, the only party that sets the rules. The current leader of the party is none other than Xi Jinping, who has been the general secretary of the party's Central Committee since 2012. The CCP's “cohesion” is so strong that in 2013, when China and its only party were to elect a president, Xi Jinping received 2,952 votes in favor and one vote against.

Eight years have passed since Xi Jinping was elected, and his tenure has been characterized by an unprecedented level of political restrictions not seen since the June 4 repression 30 years ago. From mass arrests and surveillance systems to eradicating apolitical intellectuals, Xi and his allies are doing everything in their power to increase the CCP's control over all economic, political and social aspects of China.

"Totalitarian regime" is not yet the CCP's motto, but Xi is certainly moving in that direction. Today, the CCP controls everything a political party can control, leaving non-political organizations and non-party members with little or no chance of participating in China's “success” story.

We now look at a few signs that indicate increased political control and a fundamental shift in processes that could potentially lead to political reform and economic liberalization.

Absolute horror and fear

For several years now, it has been rumored that President Xi Jinping is facing growing internal divisions that threaten his chances of staying in power. None of these threats have yet materialized, but the president feels he is walking on relatively thin ice. This is supported by the fact that he spent most of his presidency trying to protect himself and his party from a coup.

You don't need to be an expert to understand that the Chinese people are tired of dictatorial rule. Just open any reputable media and you will see - from the protests in Hong Kong to the Uyghur genocide.

Even if Xi may feel somewhat safe with the security forces and the People's Liberation Army behind him, the only way to guarantee his political survival is to constantly prevent organized protests, strikes, etc.

Ironically, Xi Jinping is not as secure in the CCP as the party has 91 million members across China. From a mathematical point of view, such a huge membership is dangerous for a leader because he cannot determine who is truly loyal and who will switch sides when people begin to press even harder on the president and the CCP.

This kind of domestic political drama can lead to growing paranoia. Just as Joseph Stalin began his massive terror to combat this paranoia, Xi may feel compelled to purge the party of his political rivals, both real and imagined. His main high-ranking opponents, such as Bo Xilai and Sun Zhengcai, have already been imprisoned, but the new purge could prove much larger and potentially even more deadly.

Forced chieftain cult

Every Chinese leader has been praised, but in this respect Xi has already surpassed his predecessors. Signs of systematic "ass kissing" are already present in modern China, with titles such as "leader of the people" and even with mobile apps that introduce new CCP members with Xi - which of course is a must.

For many years, any negative information about the president on the Internet has been censored. From simple forum posts to videos and edited photos that compare Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh, for example. If this article got on the Chinese Internet, it would be immediately removed, and I would be kidnapped or imprisoned for slandering the "leader." Unsurprisingly, freedom of speech in China is severely restricted.

Xi Jinping's third term

In this regard, the Chinese leader is not far behind other autocrats who want to stay in power until the day they die, and for this they are ready to change the laws.

In March 2018, Xi came up with a proposal to lift the two-term presidential limitation (as opposed to the post of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, which does not have a maximum number of terms). By this, he, in fact, announced that he wants to remain in power until his death. This should not surprise anyone, as it is a natural endeavor of all political leaders, especially those who are afraid of their people.

However, the desire to remain in power alone is not enough for this - the real test of Xi's power over the political system will take place in 2022 during the 20th Congress of the party, where the members will actually decide on the proposal. This is due to the fact that according to the law, which has been in force since 2002, Xi must resign after two five-year terms. If he remains in power after the decision of the Congress, it will be not only proof of Xi's unrivaled political authority, but also a clear sign that China's course will continue to focus on Xi Jinping and the CCP's dominance in China.

Beijing turns Hong Kong into a police region

The 2019-2020 protests in Hong Kong, prompted by the law to extradite suspects to China, gave Hong Kong an opportunity to create a movement to support democratic reform. For Xi Jinping, it was a great reason to forcibly arrest people, improve surveillance systems, and develop security services.

After the protests erupted, Beijing passed legislation criminalizing four acts: secession, subversion, terrorism, and conspiracy with foreign or "outside forces."

This basically eliminates the possibility of any future protests, as every protester is forced to abide by the laws of Beijing. This means that any criticism, protest, letter, banner, post, organization, song or post on social media can be considered a crime with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In other words, the Chinese president and the CCP are tightening their grip on Hong Kong politics - a move that could backfire in the long run.

The CCP deliberately eradicates Uyghurs

When China became an independent country, the independent Uyghur state became part of China. Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, Beijing's policy towards the Uyghurs has become inhuman and so brutal that it is often compared to Hitler's policy towards Jews.

Uyghurs are systematically monitored, tracked and sent to "re-education schools." Despite overwhelming evidence of this, China denies almost everything. The only thing that came close to admitting it was when China renamed "reeducation" schools as voluntary "vacation vacation" centers. I would like to speak to one of the Uyghurs who visited this "vacation center" - I'm sure they have a lot to tell us about their vacation.

Since the beginning of the Uyghur genocide, which includes forced abortion, sterilization and birth control, forced labor, torture, beatings, brainwashing and similar atrocities, nearly a million Uyghurs have been apprehended and the number continues to rise.

As someone who has followed international politics for a very long time, I believe that everyone should know what is really going on in China and what the government is doing to its people. This is the wonderful 100th anniversary of the CCP - characterized by unimaginable horror, lies and complete control over the nation.