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Month: September 2024

Chinese Soft Power Propaganda Network

Soft Power Propaganda Network of Chinese Cinema

Editor033 mins

Chinese cinema serves as a potent tool for extending Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda, promoting narratives that align with the party’s vision across various genres. Here are some examples of best Chinese propaganda movies: The Founding of a Republic (2009) This series dramatizes the events leading to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It highlights Mao Zedong’s leadership and the CCP’s victory over the Nationalists, emphasizing the legitimacy of the current regime. The Founding of a Republic dramatizes the events leading to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, presenting the rise of the Chinese Communist Party as a heroic and inevitable triumph. The film seeks to highlight the historical struggle for democracy but offers a revisionist theme, framing the CCP’s ascent as a natural and just outcome of the nation’s history. Despite this, the film has been critiqued for being more of a historical romp rather than a disciplined treatment of the subject, as noted by G and M.E. Davies. The former editor of the Southern Weekend, Chiang Ping, remarked that the film underscores the limits of the contemporary Party-guided commercial repackaging of Chinese history. The impact of the film was significant enough that Douban, a Chinese film rating site, eventually disabled the rating feature for it and the other films in the trilogy. In response to some international reactions, co-director Huang Jianxin defended the film, stating, it’s unfair to describe The Founding of a Republic as propaganda since modern Chinese audiences are too sophisticated to swallow a simplistic rendering of history. International Reach: The movie has been strategically showcased at various international film festivals and cultural events as part of China’s broader propaganda efforts to influence foreign audiences. Notably, the film earned significant revenue internationally, grossing $1,035,741 worldwide, with substantial earnings in Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Thailand. It was prominently featured at the Chinese Film Festival in Pakistan, held at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), among other global venues. Additionally, the film is available on Amazon Prime in select locations and YouTube with English subtitles/audio, where it has garnered over 260,000 views since August 30, 2021. Despite YouTube being banned in China, this substantial viewership from international audiences underscores the attempts to project the state-sanctioned narratives beyond China’s borders The Founding of a Party It is a Chinese propaganda film released in 2011 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The film was produced by the state-owned China Film Group and aims to depict the early formation of the CCP. Starting with the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and concluding with the Party’s founding congress in 1921, the film portrays the struggle and rise of the CCP as a response to the socio-political challenges of the time. While the film attempts to present a narrative of ideological commitment and revolutionary fervor, it is widely recognized as a state-sponsored effort to reinforce the legitimacy and historical significance of the CCP. The film’s romanticized portrayal of figures like a young Mao Zedong aligns with its propagandistic goals, aiming to evoke patriotic sentiments and support for the Party among its domestic audience. International Reach: “The Founding of a Party,” internationally released as “Beginning of the Great Revival,” exemplifies China’s use of cinema as a propaganda tool to shape foreign perceptions of the Chinese Communist Party’s history. Unlike its prequel, “The Founding of a Republic,” this film was dubbed in multiple languages, including Japanese, French, Russian, and English, to ensure a broader international reach. Screened in over 10 countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Australia, it grossed $58,320,429 worldwide. The film was strategically promoted to international audiences, featured at the China Image Film Festival in Europe, where it received The Committee Special Awards. Its multilingual availability and different international cut underscore China’s efforts to influence global audiences more effectively than its predecessor, projecting a state-approved narrative through carefully curated cinematic experiences. The Founding of an Army (2017) It is the third installment in what can be humorously dubbed the People’s Republic of China Cinematic Universe (PRCCU), following The Founding of a Party and The Founding of a Republic. Directed by Andrew Lau and backed by an astonishing forty-six credited producers, the film is a state-sanctioned, star-studded epic commemorating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. Despite its attempts to attract a younger audience by featuring teen idols, the film remains largely a propaganda piece, with a polished narrative that highlights Mao Zedong’s leadership while portraying Chiang Kai-shek as a short-sighted antagonist. The film does include two notable battle scenes that add to its visual appeal, though overall, it continues the trend of its predecessors in presenting a highly stylized and idealized version of history. International Reach: Unlike its predecessors, this film was strategically released in Southeast Asia, targeting audiences in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Estonia before being showcased at the ASEAN international film exhibit. Grossing $60,600,361 worldwide, the film serves as a vehicle for the Chinese government to project its narrative beyond its borders. “The Founding of an Army” underscores China’s ongoing efforts to shape foreign perceptions of its military history and bolster its soft power in strategically important areas. Wolf Warrior (2015) and Wolf Warrior 2 (2017) The Wolf Warrior series, comprising Wolf Warrior (2015) and Wolf Warrior 2 (2017), exemplifies Chinese cinema’s role in advancing CCP propaganda. These films follow Leng Feng, a Chinese special forces operative, as he battles foreign mercenaries who threaten China’s sovereignty and global interests. Wolf Warrior emphasizes the discipline and heroism of the Chinese military, contrasting it with the ruthless, morally corrupt foreign adversaries, thereby promoting a narrative of national pride and military strength. International Reach: “Wolf Warrior” (2015) was strategically marketed and released on a large scale for international audiences. The film is available on prominent streaming platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Peacock Premium, and many others, ensuring widespread accessibility. Released in both Mandarin and English, it grossed a substantial $81,411,331 worldwide,…

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EXPLAINED: Why does the South Vietnamese flag spark tension?

Editor08 mins

South Vietnam’s yellow flag with three red stripes – which represented the anti-communist republic until the end of the Vietnam war in 1975 – sparks strong, opposing emotions among Vietnamese, depending on who you’re talking to. And recently, it’s been getting a lot of attention online in Vietnam.  Social media users have been digging up footage of Vietnamese celebrities performing at events in the United States where the yellow flag appeared in the background, with the aim of embarrassing them. They’ve “outed” a string of celebrities, including singer Myra Tran, who in 2019 performed at the U.S. funeral of a former soldier in the South Vietnamese army, prompting her to apologize. But for ethnic Vietnamese in the United States, the flag holds deep emotional significance, and they say there’s nothing to apologize for. The conflicting sentiments around the flag show the lingering divisions that persist nearly 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War. What does the flag represent to the Vietnamese diaspora? The 1975 victory of the North Vietnamese forces brought the country under communist rule and triggered a mass exodus of Vietnamese in the southern part of the country to flee to the United States, Canada and elsewhere. To those Vietnamese refugees and immigrants, the flag represents their lost homeland – the Republic of Vietnam, which existed from 1955 until 1975, a land that some of their loved ones died to protect.  Student protesters in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) display the South Vietnam flag during a protest against Premier Nguyen Khanh, Aug. 31, 1964. (Nguyen Van Duc/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) It is also a symbol of resilience of those who resisted communism and overcame immense challenges to build new lives, and, most importantly, their enduring stance against communism. Many Vietnamese immigrants have used the flag to express hatred for a communist regime that ousted them from their country. Activists have lobbied local officials to recognize the flag representing the displaced overseas Vietnamese community. In the United States, the flag has been formally recognized by 20 states and 85 cities as of 2023, according to a resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives last year that seeks to recognize the flag as a symbol of the Vietnamese immigrant community. In cities like Westminster, California, home to a large Vietnamese American population, the flag is displayed during community events, protests and memorials. Virginia’s Eden Center, the East Coast’s largest concentration of Vietnamese businesses, also flies the South Vietnamese flag alongside the U.S. flag.  “Since I was born, I’ve always seen the yellow flag with three red stripes everywhere, and I know that it is the flag of the Vietnamese people,” 23-year-old Phuong Anh, born and raised in southern California, told RFA Vietnamese. What does it represent to Hanoi? In Vietnam today – represented by a red flag with a yellow star – the old South Vietnamese flag is considered a symbol of treason and defiance against the government. Showing it is seen as subversive, potentially leading to severe penalties, including imprisonment.  The flag is often associated with the so-called “reactionary forces,” a term the Vietnamese government uses to describe those who oppose its rule, including former South Vietnamese officials, their descendants, and members of the Vietnamese diaspora who fled the country after the war. State-controlled media work hard to make sure images of the yellow flag do not appear in publications or on broadcasts, even if it is in a news report about an election campaign in the United States or a sports event. In January 2022, for example, Vietnam Television postponed airing a soccer match in Australia due to fans waving red-striped yellow flags in the stadium. How does the flag remain an obstacle? The flag, as a symbol of resistance to communism, worries the Vietnamese government as it could spark opposition and dissent at home and abroad, according to experts. In Vietnamese educational and propaganda materials, the yellow flag is depicted as something to be disavowed. As a result, many in the country are angry or hostile when they see the flag. The tension surrounding the flag shows the legacy of the Vietnam War and the deep divisions it created. It leaves many overseas Vietnamese questioning whether the Vietnamese government is ready for reconciliation with the diaspora community and moving forward from the past. “We can only achieve reconciliation if we understand the pain of our people,” said Johny Huy, a Vietnamese in North Carolina. “I believe these are things our nation needs to acknowledge, we need to recognize and accept the suffering of those who had to flee and escape after 1975.” Edited by Malcolm Foster.

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Investigative Journalism Reportika © March 2022 by Ij-Reportika is licensed under CC BY 4.0