The media savvy leader

Chinese President Xi Jinping is the man of the world

The current Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping is fully cognizant of the power of media. He knows how to put it to the best use, yet he maintains a modicum of modesty. At a press conference, a local reporter once asked Xi to rate his performance: “Would you give yourself a score of a hundred—or a score of ninety?” (Neither, Xi said; a high number would look “boastful,” and a low number would reflect “low self-esteem.”)

During his first visit to the US as President, Xi charmed the media by referring to popular Hollywood movies and US TV soap operas. During President Xi’s speech at Seattle, there was more than one occasion where the audience laughed and applauded the President for being in touch with America, due the references he made to the 1993 film “Sleepless in Seattle,” and the Netflix hit TV series “House of Cards.” This has endeared President Xi to the American public and lends credence to the fact that, cooperation through understanding each other is crucial, and that is why Xi believed, “The Chinese character Ren, or people, is in a shape of two strokes supporting each other. The foundation of the China-U.S. friendship has its roots in the people.”

A study of the People’s Daily found that, by his second anniversary in office, Xi was appearing in the paper more than twice as often as his predecessor at the same point. He even stars in a series of cartoons aimed at young people, beginning with “How to Make a Leader,” which describes him, despite his family pedigree, as a symbol of meritocracy—“one of the secrets of the China miracle.” The state news agency has taken the unprecedented step of adopting a nickname for the General Secretary: Xi Dada—roughly, Big Uncle Xi.

President Xi Jinping is no novice to the media. He developed his writing and reading skills at an early stage. Even as a junior official, he would contribute articles to Chinese dailies and journals, highlighting the problems and issues faced by the people. Attaching importance to communication with the people via news media, Xi wrote a popular column for the Zhejiang Daily, using the pen name Zhexin. In his 232 columns, he discussed everyday problems of interest to the common people.

When Xi Jinping’s book was launched, it did not come as a surprise and received raving reviews and is a must read for world leaders and people who want to understand China. In his book China’s Governance President Xi has provided important guidelines for China by the introduction of the concept of accountability and comprehensive rule of law enacted by the Communist Party of China (CPC) to protect the Chinese people in accordance with the law and constitution. Erstwhile, China had been ruled by the diktat of the Committee but now the aspirations of the people ensured by rule of law will guide the destinies of the Chinese nation.

President Xi proffers new thoughts, ideas and assessments, in response to major theoretical and practical issues on the development of the party and the country in the contemporary era. These theories have showcased the central leadership’s ideas and strategies in governing China.

To outsiders, Xi has been a fitful subject. The clearest account of Xi’s life and influences comes from his own words and decisions, scattered throughout a long climb to power.

Xi’s lack of pretense can be judged from Kevin Rudd, the former Prime Minister of Australia, and a Mandarin speaker who has conversed with Xi at length over the years and considers him a genuine leader. He states: “What he (Xi) says is what he thinks. My experience of him is that there’s not a lot of artifice.”

Xi recently visited the major media houses and explained that he recommends music and art to reflect Chinese socialist values. He announced the new publishing law, the details of which that were revealed just days before Xi’s visit to the media outlets, goes into effect on March 10, 2016. The law requires digital publishers of everything from scientific to cultural content and online games to seek approval before they can operate online. This will ensure anti-social and immoral content.

President Xi has directed news media run by the CPC and the Chinese government to strictly follow the Party’s leadership and focus on “positive reporting.” According to Xi, the mission of the Party’s media work is to provide guidance for the public, serve the country’s overall interests, unite the general public, instill confidence and pool strength, tell right from wrong and connect China to the world. To do so, Xi reiterates, they should also stick to guiding public opinion on the correct path in every aspect and stage of their work.

He hit the nail on the head, when he affirmed: “Truthfulness is the life of journalism, and the facts must be reported based on the truth. While accurately reporting individual facts, journalists must also grasp and reflect the overall situation of an event from a broad view.”

The president noted that public supervision and positive publicity are two compatible functions of media. He urged media outlets to confront problems emerging from their work and social ills head-on, spreading the good and condemning the bad while practicing critical journalism based on accurate facts and objective analysis.

Calling for innovative concepts, content and methods, Xi told media groups to make use of new media’s edge in publicity, amplify their voices on the international stage, tell stories about China well and build flagship media groups with strong global influence.

According to Xi, the journalism industry should accelerate its progress in fostering workers with firm political beliefs, outstanding professional skills, moral excellence and whom the Party and people can trust. Simultaneously, he urged media managers to train the media practitioners employing state-of-the-art technology as well as offer them lucrative pay packages to attract the most proficient media practitioners.

The media-savvy Chinese President wants to ensure that media serves the people and not the leadership as is the practice in many nations.