Waking Up to Find Oneself Labelled as a Foreign Force! Xi Jinping Continues to Trend

The trend of 'lying flat' has gained popularity among young people in China. (Internet screenshot)

[People News] A statement from the Ministry of State Security of the Communist Party of China, claiming that 'young people lying flat are funded and incited by foreign forces,' has sent shockwaves across the internet, trending for several days. Chinese netizens are expressing their helplessness, anger, and frustration in the face of intense competition, job scarcity, and a bleak future.

Waking up to be labelled as a foreign force

Numerous young Chinese netizens have shared similar posts stating: 'Waking up to be labelled as a foreign force,' 'Please have someone from this organisation contact me, deposit 5000 into my account every month, and I promise to lie flat every day,' 'Why hasn’t any external force bribed me to lie flat?' 'How is the funding arranged? Please contact me if you can. 'Foreign big shots, please pay attention to me, I really can lie flat.' 'I can’t work anymore, foreign forces, please come quickly to fund my lying flat lifestyle.'

One Chinese netizen remarked: 'I don’t want to lie flat; I’ve sent out over 200 resumes on job recruitment websites, and I’ve received no replies.' (Webpage screenshot)

Chinese netizen 'Youth Flame' commented: 'Please have someone from this organisation contact me, deposit 5000 into my account every month, and I promise to lie flat every day.' (Webpage screenshot)

Another netizen stated: 'Foreign big boss, please pay attention to me, I really can lie flat.' (Webpage screenshot)

In a video, a young female internet user from China expressed, "What is the biggest hope for those born after 2000? The most liked comment here states: there is no hope, life is meaningless, I wish for the earth to explode, and for humanity to disappear. Since childhood, I have been taught that if I study hard, I can get into a good university, and if I get into a good university, I can secure a good job, which will lead to a good future. During my elementary and middle school years, I was overwhelmed with homework; in high school, Hengshui High School became a legend for us. I don't know if you've ever practised writing in the Hengshui style, which is a very neat and visually appealing font with a high degree of uniformity. My youth has mirrored the characters of the Hengshui style, where staying up all night to finish homework was the norm, and it feels like my student life was constantly under pressure. I already have four job experiences; I've worked jobs where I only slept for one hour a day due to overtime, I've had jobs where I worked three consecutive weekends, and I've also worked where I had to be at the office by 8 AM and couldn't leave until 11:30 PM. My twenties shouldn't be like this, right? It shouldn't be that I come home at night, take a shower, and collapse into bed, only to be jolted awake by the alarm clock the next day, rushing to the subway station to get to work. This routine has repeated far too many times in my life. Is my ability to handle stress really that poor? But my life has been reduced to just eating, sleeping, and working. Am I really not trying hard enough?" 

In response, some Chinese netizens countered, saying, "Isn't choosing to marry and not to have children a personal choice? Does threatening someone with a knife really compel young people to have children?" 

Is this country made of paper?

The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) assertion that 'lying flat' is linked to 'national security' has also taken overseas netizens by surprise.

A YouTube streamer known as 'Jason' remarked: 'The CCP's claim is particularly shameless because it denies the hard work and contributions of all young people in China. It refuses to let them rest or lie flat, insisting they must keep getting up to work, allowing the CCP to endlessly exploit them. Who is the real enemy of the Chinese people? How insane is the CCP to connect lying flat with national security?'

One netizen asked: 'Is this country made of paper?'

Another user, Petrichor, commented: 'In an age where people wish to lie flat but cannot, the concept of lying flat has bizarrely turned into a conspiracy for some. Just thinking about it feels like dark humour.'

Naturally, opinions among Chinese netizens regarding 'lying flat' are quite varied. The prevailing view considers 'lying flat' as a form of helpless self-preservation in response to overwhelming pressure. High housing prices, job scarcity, intense competition, and low wages weigh heavily on them like mountains. They feel that no matter how hard they strive, escaping their situation is nearly impossible. As a result, they choose to lower their expectations, avoid buying homes, refrain from marriage, and limit their consumption, all to maintain their lives at the lowest possible cost. For this group, 'lying flat' is not a sign of laziness, but rather a strategy to prevent being 'over-exploited.'

Another prevalent perspective is that 'lying flat' serves as a subtle form of protest against the authoritarian regime and the stringent surveillance environment. Some view 'lying flat' as a type of 'non-violent non-cooperation.' In the face of numerous injustices, individuals choose not to confront the issues directly but instead express their dissatisfaction with reality by reducing their efforts and refusing to overexert themselves. This viewpoint is frequently associated online with terms like 'anti-involution' and 'refusing to be chives.' The most notable phrase linked to this sentiment is: 'This is our last generation, thank you!' 

Many commentators argue that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) connects 'lying flat' with 'national security' primarily because of the alarming unemployment rates among young people in China. A significant number of young individuals are jobless and demoralised, which could potentially lead to social unrest and jeopardise the stability of the CCP's rule. 

Who are the true foreign forces? 

Despite the CCP's Ministry of State Security vehemently condemning foreign organisations for inciting 'lying flat' and providing substantial support to 'lying flat internet celebrities,' it remains ambiguous, failing to specify which foreign organisation is involved or which Chinese internet celebrity has received such support. 

Some netizens have even uncovered a video of Xiaomi founder Lei Jun discussing 'lying flat.' In the video, Lei Jun stated, 'I have also lain flat, and I did so for more than half a year. If you really can't endure it, it's actually fine to lie flat; there's no shame in it.' Netizens pretended to be shocked, saying, 'Mr. Lei, you are also a foreign force; no wonder Xiaomi has become so successful!' 'Mr. Lei is in danger.'

The popular YouTuber host "Ba Jiong" remarked: "Who in the world provides the most funding for united front work aimed at internet celebrities? Who can outdo the Chinese Communist Party? Who can create a stir on Taiwan's internet about sprouting potatoes while being oblivious to the fact that people in Yunnan and Guizhou are consuming sprouted potatoes? Who can escape the grasp of the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department? From party branches in enterprises, party branches within religious organisations, village secretaries in rural areas, street office directors, county party secretaries, city party secretaries, provincial party secretaries, disciplinary committees, as well as the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Military Commission, and police station instructors... I ask you, who in Chinese society can evade the CCP's united front? Given this situation, is there still any room for foreign forces?" He further stated, "Additionally, you are leveraging Chinese culture and the name of hometown associations globally to conduct united front work and infiltration." 

So, who exactly are these foreign reactionary forces? A netizen from Sichuan offered his perspective: "A German who has completely given up on working, living off the handouts of wealthy friends, spending his days writing books that encourage everyone to stand up against their bosses, promoting the idea of lying flat and going on strike—foreign forces are truly terrible." A netizen from Hebei responded: "This is Karl, he is already dead, thank you, everyone." 

The "Karl" mentioned by the netizen refers to Karl Marx, while the so-called "wealthy friend" is Friedrich Engels. Together, they are the authors of the "Communist Manifesto" and are considered the founders of the communist movement.

Following the seizure of power by the Chinese Communist Party in October 1949, the party initiated several political movements that led to the deaths of nearly 100 million Chinese citizens. Consequently, the CCP is perceived as a significant calamity for the Chinese nation. Members of the CCP often express the sentiment, 'We will meet Marx after death,' which has led to them being labelled as 'Marxist-Leninist descendants,' in contrast to being recognised as 'Yanhuang descendants.' △