Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s knows the art of Influencing others because influence is the ability to affect the behaviour of others in a particular direction, In the
latest attempt, Xi Jinping led government has issued an order directing schools to “oppose and resist Western erroneous views” such as constitutional government, separation of powers, and judicial independence. It is nothing but an attempt to purge liberal Western concepts from the education system.
Issued on February 26, the controversial order reinforced the leading role of Xi who has been named no less than 25 times in the document.Xi has been
constantly making efforts to impose his ideology on the people. However, the Chinese administration has been issuing directives from time to time to target
students in schools and colleges. Some directives were issued in past wherein students were encouraged to report on professors who speak positively about Western concepts of governance.
Experts on foreign affairs described the order as nothing but a forceful imposition of Xi ideology on youngsters. Such attempts
would restrict people from analysing issues in fair and unbiased manner. Incidentally, Xi Jiinping forcefully imposed his ambitious zero covid policy and controlled the lives of people for nearly three years,
In March 2021, a Chinese lawmaker had proposed removing English as a core subject for Chinese students receiving compulsory education. His proposal had
triggered heated discussion on Chinese social media.
Some experts had described the idea as narrow-minded populism and stated that China’ needed the global language to share views and technology with the outside world to retain its importance in globalisation. Others said it was reasonable as majority of Chinese people do not use English in their lives, except during their education.
The latest order stated that teachers and students of law and legal theory workers must be guided to have a ”clear-cut position and take a firm stance in the face of issues of principle and major issues of right and wrong.”
The directive stated that teachers and students must “comprehensively implement the party’s education policy, insist on educating people for the party and the country, and focus on cultivating builders and successors of the cause of socialist rule of law.” “Oppose and resist Western erroneous views such as
‘constitutional government,’ ‘separation of three powers,’ and ‘independence of the judiciary,’ it said.
As far as Chinese Constitution is concerned it talks about freedom of speech and religious observation but at the same time places the interests of the party above all. Past attempts at promoting even grassroots democracy at the village level have sputtered in the face of the party’s overwhelming power and the authorities’ willingness to use force and coercion to achieve their desired outcomes. Observers however said that the Chinese public has been largely willing to accept total party control in return for consistent improvements in quality of life. Zero covid policy is the latest example.
China had announced broad changes to its zero-Covid policy in December following pressure on officials to reassess the increasingly unsustainable policy mounted amid widespread public discontent and ongoing economic harm. This policy was forced upon people by Xi government for three long years.
As if it was not enough. Xi Jinping ordered for the closure of Tibetan schools and monastic schools in recent past which evoked strong reactions from the global community. Four UN human rights bodies questioned China over the closure of Tibetan schools and monastic schools in November. These schools teach tibetwhich can be learned, and the residential schools, which have been built to teach only Chinese culture; about one million Tibetan children study there, which will turn Tibetan children into Chinese and disconnect them from their identity.
However all eyes are on the annual session of the National People’s Congress due to be held on Sunday ( March 5). The meeting , comprised of 2,977 handpicked members, will discuss government’s annual report presented by outgoing Premier Li Keqiang. According to available reports, the chairperson of the body is also due to issue a report, which in past years has also contained pledges to eschew Western political government such as separation of powers and an independent judiciary.
Veteran analysts said that Xi Jinping’s ideology campaign reflected China’s preference to have Chinese standards adopted as legitimate alternatives to
Western values and institutions.The ideology campaign should not be viewed as anti-West or -American but an effort to maintain and cultivate Chinese culture while at the same time borrowing from the West, a strategy China has carried out for many years.