Much of Xi’s clout emanates from the illustrious image that he has cultivated for himself, writes Chun Han Wong. Mythmaking is a key component of Xi’s push for preeminence
Whereas Mao and Deng Xiaoping won adulation through revolutionary exploits and epoch-defining achievements, Xi took power as a relative unknown and had to build his appeal from scratch. He opted for winning favor through populist deeds and folksy branding, drawing on imagery that recalls Mao and on methods that are more Madison Avenue.
The image-building stretched credulity at times. After a 2017 state television documentary aired old interview footage of Xi saying that he, as a rural laborer during the Cultural Revolution, would carry two hundred—roughly two hundred and twenty pounds over three miles—without switching shoulders, some netizens ridiculed what they saw as an implausible feat.
When the party celebrated the fortieth anniversary of Deng’s economic reforms in 2018, the fanfare focused primarily on Xi, even though Deng has long been exalted as the “chief architect” of “reform and opening up.” While Xi hasn’t tried to erase or repudiate Deng, the late leader’s supporters have been sensitive to any revisionist attempts to dilute his legacy.
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