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Leadership: The CCP’s State Advisors

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a few political and ideological advisors. They are called the “state advisors.” The Epoch Times reported on four of them. All four came from Fudan University.

Wang Huning (王沪宁), a Standing Committee Member of the Politburo, is the top advisor to Xi Jinping. He also advised the previous two CCP top leaders Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Thus he is called the “Three Dynasties State Advisor.”

Wang was affiliated with Fudan University for 17 years, from 1978 to 1995. First he was a graduate student then a professor, followed by department chair and dean of the School of Law. He is deeply connected to Fudan University and brought a few other Fudan scholars as “state advisors” to the CCP leadership.

Zhang Weiwei (张维为), Dean of the School of China Studies, Fudan University, was invited to lecture to the Standing Committee Members of the Politburo on May 31 on the topic of “Strengthening China’s International Communication Capabilities.” The details of Zhang’s talk were not available, but he said in an interview the next day that his diplomatic stand was that the CCP is right, but the world has a “malicious misinterpretation.”

Zhang’s advice to the Standing Committee Members was clear, “When it is time to punch, then punch; when it is time to mock then mock; and when it is the time to give out a loud shouting warning then give out a loud shouting warning.”

Zhang is known for talking down about the U.S. His infamous quotes include, “China has fully reached moderate prosperity for the entire nation, but the U.S. still has 40 million people living below the poverty line.” His book “China Is Fighting the Pandemic,” claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for the world to tilt rapidly to the East while sending the West tumbling.

Another advisor is Zheng Ruolin (郑若麟), Researcher at the School of China Studies of Fudan University. Zheng frequently writes for the Shanghai Wen Hui Bao, the newspaper owned by the Shanghai Party Committee.

Zheng published articles that stated, “It is far from enough just to rely on the diplomat wolf warriors to fight the public opinion war.” Instead, media and scholars should all participate in that war. He suggested that China’s media “should assume the role of the main force” in the war of public opinion against the West. The most important thing to do is to “repeat, repeat, repeat;” and “a lie repeated a thousand times will really become the ‘truth’!”

Zheng also suggested supporting the “international friends” who speak for the CCP. “Some examples are: to purchase copyrights of their books to publish them to the world; give them China’s book awards or news awards; invite them to visit China; and hire them as professors at our universities. …”

Another advisor is Shen Yi (沈逸), Associate Professor at the Department of International Politics, Fudan University. He is known for his outlandish statements on nationalism and is popular among the people with extreme nationalist views.

On May 1, the CCP Political and Legal Affairs Committee (PLAC) published a picture titled, “China Lit Fire vs. India Lit Fire.” The picture showed on one side China’ launching a rocket and on the other side India’s burning the bodies of people who died due to the COVID-19 virus (India was at its peak of suffering from COVID at that time). Many people, including Huanqiu’s Chief Editor Hu Xijin, criticized the picture for lack of empathy. The PLAC then removed the picture. However, Shen praised the picture on the social media, calling it the normal response to India’s “sultry slutty style.” He even blamed Hu Xijin for not being tough on this point  and for issuing a surrender.

Source: The Epoch Times, July 19, 2021
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/7/19/n13099514.htm