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The CCP’s File No. 9 Circular Labels Promoting Democratic Ideologies as Seven Reactionary Trends

On August 21, 2013, Hong Kong Apple Daily published an article on the Chinese Communist Party’s “File No. 9” titled, “Circular on the Current Ideological Situation.” The circular, authorized by the CCP’s General Secretary Xi Jingping, labels seven democratic ideological trends. Although popular in China recently, they are called reactionary trends; the circular warns CCP officials that they will lose their power if they cannot eliminate these seven reactionary trends from Chinese society. According to the circular, “Those who oppose the CCP’s one-party rule make trouble, call for publicizing officials’ assets and property holdings, take advantage of the Internet to oppose corruption, media control, and other sensitive problems so as to incite discontent about the Party and the government.” 

Below are the seven reactionary trends cited by the CCP:

  1. Promoting Western Constitutional Democracy and thus denying the CCP’s leadership and the socialist system.
  2. Promoting universal values and thus shaking the theoretical foundation of the CCP’s rule.
  3. Promoting civil society and thus disrupting the social foundation of the CCP’s rule.  
  4. Promoting neo-liberalism and thus changing China’s economic system.
  5. Promoting Western journalism [freedom of the press] and thus challenging the CCP’s media management system.
  6. Disseminating historical nihilism and thus negating the history of the CCP and New China.
  7. Questioning China’s reform and opening up is to question the nature of Chinese socialism.

Source: Hong Kong Apple Daily, August 21, 2013
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/international/art/20130821/18387627