Li Ziqi's Comeback: A Calculation by the CCP

On November 12, after three years of silence, internet celebrity and blogger Li Ziqi suddenly released three new videos and announced her return with a post. (Dajiyuan Illustration)

[People News] On November 12, after three years of silence, Chinese internet celebrity and blogger Li Ziqi suddenly released three new videos online and announced her return on Weibo. She wrote: "This lacquerware video is four years overdue. The word 'lacquer' (漆) sounds similar to 'Qi' (柒). I named this carved lacquerware piece 'Purple Air Comes from the East.' With the qilin turning back, there’s no need to worry about anything. I send this blessing to everyone watching the video. I’ve missed you so much." In just a few hours after the video was posted, it garnered over 100 million views.

The three videos Li Ziqi released this time include lacquerware production, transforming a forest wardrobe, and making velvet flowers. As before, the videos are visually stunning, with soothing and elegant music, creating an immersive experience.

Li Ziqi began creating videos in 2016, and her idyllic lifestyle videos captivated a large number of fans until she stopped updating on July 14, 2021. During that time, it became known through the internet that Li Ziqi was actually backed by capital. She had signed a contract with Hangzhou Weinian, a multi-channel network company, and a professional team was responsible for producing all of her videos. The hiatus occurred due to a dispute between Li Ziqi and Weinian over brand control, which escalated to a legal battle. At the time, all "Li Ziqi" branding was managed by Weinian.

In December 2022, Weinian announced that it had reached a settlement with Li Ziqi. Between December 2023 and January 2024, Hangzhou Weinian exited Sichuan Ziqi Culture Communication Co., Ltd., and Li Ziqi's ownership in the company increased from 49% to 99%, giving her full control. Additionally, Hangzhou Weinian transferred multiple "Li Ziqi" and "Ziqi" trademarks to Sichuan Ziqi Culture Communication Co., Ltd.

The day after Li Ziqi's comeback, a trending topic about her changing her name on her ID card appeared on Weibo. A friend of Li Ziqi revealed that she had officially changed her legal name from her birth name, Li Jiajia, to Li Ziqi.

For reasons unknown, Li Ziqi suddenly gained immense influence. She not only easily secured control over the "Li Ziqi" company but also acquired ownership of all "Li Ziqi" trademarks. By changing her legal name, she fully integrated her personal identity with the Li Ziqi IP. Her massive following of over 80 million fans on Chinese platforms and 19.9 million subscribers on YouTube has become her exclusive asset.

In a 2020 article, the BBC described her as "a flower blooming inside the wall with fragrance spreading outside," adding that she "tells China's story better than the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda department." This referred to her greater popularity on international platforms than domestically. Naturally, the immense attention Li Ziqi garnered overseas caught the eye of the CCP's propaganda authorities. State-run media like Xinhua News and CCTV publicly praised her success in "telling China's story," calling it a prime example of Chinese cultural export and a testament to China's growing soft power.

Throughout her journey, Li Ziqi has not only gained official recognition but also received numerous social honors:

In 2020, she was appointed as an "Ambassador for the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival" alongside figures such as Yuan Longping, Shen Jilan, Feng Gong, Feng Jicai, and Hai Xia.

In 2021, she was named "Ambassador of Sichuan Agricultural Civilization" by Sichuan Province. In an interview on CCTV's Lu Jian Interview program, she mentioned that one of her "future plans" was to "promote rural revitalization."

In July 2023, she appeared in a promotional video for the Chengdu Universiade.

In September 2023, as an ambassador for the Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival, she released a video stating her commitment to "telling the story of China's countryside."

In October 2023, she made an appearance on the CCP's "Study Xi, Strengthen the Nation" platform, promoting "Panda Week for a Strong Nation" as "Sister Panda."

On November 13, 2024, the day after her comeback, she was interviewed on the official media program New Dialogue.

Li Ziqi's frequent interactions with CCP officials have led some netizens to quip: "Has Li Ziqi transitioned from being a top-tier internet celebrity to a top-tier insider within the system?"

After Li Ziqi’s comeback, independent media personality Wang Jian posted on X, saying: "Li Ziqi has returned, accompanied by interviews from CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, and a full-scale reposting campaign by official media across the internet. This is extremely unusual and goes beyond standard protocol. Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei wrote in a post on his account, ‘It seems Li Ziqi has entered the system; her productions are now entirely handled by the CCTV documentary team.’ Li Ziqi has essentially become a major piece in the CCP's external propaganda, telling a false version of China’s story. Her return comes with the CCP's mission embedded within it, lending her former softness an unusual undertone."

Another netizen posted on X, claiming: "Li Ziqi seems to have entered the CCP’s system. Han Sanping is the producer, Zhang Yimou is the cinematographer, and the entire production is being handled by the CCTV documentary team."

Why has Li Ziqi, after three years of silence, been pushed forward by the CCP at this particular time?

1. Shifting Public Attention and Creating a False Sense of Stability

On the night before Li Ziqi’s return on November 12, a major vehicle-ramming incident occurred in Zhuhai, and recently there has been a surge in similar incidents involving car attacks and knife assaults, fueling public fear. In such situations, the CCP’s propaganda department often releases eye-catching events to divert online attention. Li Ziqi’s comeback appears to be part of a strategy to dilute negative news.

Her post on Weibo, which included the phrase "The qilin turns back, and all worries disappear," carries a sense of reassurance and comfort. Meanwhile, official media outlets have been aggressively promoting her story, and the rapid growth of her followers both domestically and abroad appears highly unusual. It is likely that the Party is behind this push, using her as a tool to ease societal tensions and distract from pressing issues.

2. Fabricating a Utopian Lifestyle to Mask the Hardships of Chinese Society

Before Li Ziqi’s hiatus, her videos were highly praised by international audiences, but domestic viewers often criticized her for helping the CCP romanticize the harsh realities of rural life in China.

The lifestyle depicted in her videos is completely disconnected from the realities of rural China, where farmers toil endlessly in the fields, barely earning enough to survive. Left-behind children rarely see their parents due to the migration of adults to urban areas for work. Middle-aged individuals are forced to leave their hometowns to find work in cities. Elderly villagers, often in their 70s or 80s, rely on meager pensions of just a few hundred yuan per month and continue working to make ends meet. Which rural resident’s life in China resembles the idyllic scenes portrayed in Li Ziqi’s videos?

Some netizens have labeled her content as "toxic chicken soup," calling it a condescending trivialization of rural hardships, a mockery of farmers, and a desecration of the realities of village life.

"Turning the difficult lives of rural residents into an earthly paradise is a severe whitewashing of reality. Instead of addressing the hardships of ordinary people, the focus is on covering up and repackaging these struggles as positive energy propaganda. It’s deeply sinister."

"The CCP propaganda department knows that official media narratives are ineffective, so they repurpose internet celebrities like Li Ziqi to deceive foreigners after rebranding them."

3. Becoming an Official Tool of CCP Propaganda to Brainwash Domestic and International Audiences

Li Ziqi’s videos are often described as: "Not explicitly praising China, but spreading Chinese culture and telling China’s story." The idyllic, utopian lifestyle she portrays has captivated many foreign audiences, aligning perfectly with the CCP’s external propaganda goal of beautifying China and emotionally drawing foreigners closer. Moving forward, the CCP could tailor Li Ziqi’s content to align with its agenda, turning her videos into powerful global propaganda tools designed to influence and brainwash.

It is not an exaggeration to call Li Ziqi a significant piece in the CCP’s external propaganda strategy. Amid the ongoing suppression of internet influencers who produce "inappropriate" content, many have been silenced. That Li Ziqi not only survives but thrives, gaining followers and income on platforms like YouTube beyond the Great Firewall, is almost impossible unless she serves as a propaganda instrument for the CCP.

Three years ago, many were drawn to the fantasy depicted in Li Ziqi’s videos because the fast pace of modern life made people long for a peaceful, rural existence. However, in today’s society, such content is unlikely to resonate as deeply. Young people, overwhelmed by relentless competition ("neijuan"), have largely shifted to "lying flat" ("tangping"). Millions of college graduates are financially dependent on their parents at home. A significant portion of the workforce is engaged in precarious freelance jobs. In just three years, people have gone from having money but no time to having plenty of time but no money.

Whether Li Ziqi, as the "key piece" in CCP propaganda, can achieve the Party’s goals depends on how far she can go. However, history shows that those who align with the CCP, conceal the truth, and lie against their conscience rarely meet a good end.