On February 17, several entrepreneurs attended a CCP symposium on private enterprises. However, their expressions were grim, showing no joy despite supposedly receiving government support. (Screenshot from video)
[People News] On March 10, the closing ceremony of the 14th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was held, during which CPPCC Chairman Wang Huning delivered a speech. However, something highly unusual occurred—Xinhua News Agency, after already deleting certain phrases of praise for Xi Jinping from the speeches of Supreme Court President Zhang Jun and Supreme Procuratorate Chief Ying Yong in its summary reports, also edited out excessive flattery towards Xi from Wang Huning’s speech. Editing out content from a speech by a Politburo Standing Committee member—especially when it involves Xi—is no trivial matter.
What Was Cut? A review of the full text of Wang Huning’s speech, as published on the CCP’s official website, reveals an extreme level of praise for Xi Jinping, with Xi’s leadership over the CPPCC mentioned repeatedly throughout. Not only did it include references to the “2442” formula, but it also stated that CPPCC members unanimously believed that “the reason the Party and the country have been revitalized in the new era, and the reason China has continued to thrive amid global upheavals over the past year, is because of Xi Jinping’s leadership at the helm and the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought.” However, Xinhua’s report on the closing ceremony of the 14th CPPCC only retained the mention of “2442” while completely removing phrases like “leadership at the helm” and “guidance of Xi Jinping Thought.”
This is particularly odd because, throughout this year’s Two Sessions, it has been evident that senior CCP officials have been using a unified script to praise Xi, frequently incorporating phrases such as “leadership at the helm” and “guidance of Xi Jinping Thought.” In a previous analysis, I pointed out that this coordinated effort to have high-ranking officials use the same script to glorify Xi was likely the result of an internal consensus reached within the Party before the meetings began, with corresponding directives issued. Given the CCP’s internal and external challenges, the excessive flattery of Xi over the past year could be seen as a prelude to his departure. If Xi were to step down, it would likely be done in a manner that preserves his dignity, as safeguarding Xi’s image also serves to protect the CCP’s reputation and, ultimately, its rule.
Based on state media reports, many senior officials, including Wang Huning, used this praise-heavy script during the group discussions at the Two Sessions. When Wang attended a session with the Guizhou delegation, he made similar remarks praising Xi. There seemed to be no issue with him reiterating this praise during the closing ceremony. Yet, for some reason, Xinhua chose to delete these crucial phrases—an extremely unusual move.
Moreover, Wang Huning stated in his speech that in the new year, it is essential to "always maintain a high degree of consistency with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, led by Xi Jinping, regarding political stance, direction, principles, and path." This aspect was similarly overlooked in Xinhua News Agency's comprehensive report, which instead highlighted the importance of "better shouldering the political responsibility of implementing the Central Committee's decisions and the requirements for the work of the People's Political Consultative Conference...".
This raises a question for the author: how did Xinhua handle Wang Huning's speech at the opening ceremony of the Political Consultative Conference? A comparison reveals similar discrepancies.
In his opening remarks, Wang Huning continued to extol Xi, implying that without Xi, the senior officials of the Political Consultative Conference would lack a guiding backbone and would be uncertain about their actions. He noted that besides the "two four four two" and "Xi Thought," he also described Xi's speech at the 75th anniversary of the Political Consultative Conference as "high-level, profound, and rich in content, illuminating the truth of integrating the fundamental principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and its excellent traditional culture, thereby pointing out the direction for the development of the People's Political Consultative Conference in the new era and new journey, and providing fundamental guidance." Such excessively flattering remarks were omitted from Xinhua's report, which only retained the phrase "pointing out the direction for advancement and providing fundamental guidance."
Xinhua News Agency has removed the excessive flattery directed at Xi from reports concerning the Standing Committee, a practice that was absent in 2024. In the report titled 'Closing of the Second Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference' in 2024, it was noted that Wang Huning stated: 'All committee members highly appreciate the past year in which the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with Xi Jinping at its core, united and led the entire party and people of all ethnic groups in the country to strive hard and move forward courageously, ... steering the 'China' giant ship through waves and advancing bravely. All committee members have gained a deeper understanding of the 'Two Establishments' ... which hold decisive significance.' Wang Huning's praise for Xi was reported verbatim.
Furthermore, Wang Huning's comments on how to approach the new year for the Political Consultative Conference, including using 'Xi Thought' as guidance and enhancing political standing, were also fully reported by Xinhua News Agency.
This raises the question: why, during this year's Two Sessions, were high-ranking officials permitted to use similar scripts of praise for Xi on one hand, while on the other hand, excessive flattery was omitted from key official reports? There seems to be a hidden hand at work here. One possible explanation is that Xi has indeed lost power, but the elder statesmen behind the scenes of the Communist Party wish to prevent excessive speculation from the outside world before an official announcement is made. Therefore, while allowing high-ranking officials to use the prescribed script, they also chose to edit out the excessive remarks from certain officials.
Having navigated through three administrations and having crafted various flawed ideologies, Wang Huning may feel discontent regarding the new power arrangements among the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) elders. He might be trying to showcase his so-called 'loyalty' to Xi Jinping, or perhaps he aims to ensure a proper exit for Xi from the power landscape. Consequently, he added his own elements beyond the established script. The removal of these additions highlights that those controlling the current political landscape are significantly more powerful than Wang Huning, a mere member of the Standing Committee; otherwise, such an order would not have been possible. Who could it be, if not the three prominent figures from 1942 mentioned in earlier reports?
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