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Xi Jinping's southern tour

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Xi Jinping's southern tour refers to the five-day trip to Guangdong and other places by Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, after taking office in December 2012. During the trip, Xi repeatedly emphasized "vigorously promoting reform and adhering to opening up" and described reform and opening up as "the key move that determines China's fate". The route of Xi Jinping's Southern Tour was roughly the same as the Guangdong section of Deng Xiaoping's southern tour in January 1992.[1] He was accompanied by Wang Yang, a Politburo member who is considered a reformist, and visited local veteran cadres from the time of Deng's Southern Tour. It was also called the "New Southern Tour" by the media.[2][3]

Unlike his predecessor Hu Jintao, who chose Xibaipo, Hebei, the "command post" of the final stage of the Chinese Civil War, as his first destination after taking office as General Secretary in December 2002, Xi Jinping chose Shenzhen, Guangdong, a key area for reform and opening up, as his first stop, rather than Yan'an, the important revolutionary base of the CCP where he had spent six years; foreign media paid close attention to this. Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhongxun, also served as the Party Secretary of Guangdong at the beginning of the reform and opening up.[4]

On October 22, 2018, when the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge opened, Xi Jinping visited Zhuhai, marking his second visit to Guangdong in six years.[5]

Schedule

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The banyan tree planted by Xi Jinping on Lianhua Mountain during his southern tour[6]

This southern tour of Guangdong lasted 5 days, from 7 to 11 December, and included Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shunde, Guangzhou, Huizhou and other places.[7]

Date Location Schedule Ref.
December 7–8 Shenzhen Special Economic Zone
  • Inspected the Qianhai Cooperation Zone and Tencent
  • Visited a fishing village to encourage villagers to remain steadfast in their commitment to reform and opening up.
  • Presented a flower basket to the bronze statue of Deng Xiaoping in Lianhuashan.
  • Visited his mother Qi Xin, who lives in Shenzhen
 [4][8]
December 8–9 Zhuhai Special Economic Zone
  • Inspected Hengqin Development Zone and listened to reports
 [7]
December 9 Shunde
  • Visited Shunde Guangdong Industrial Design City
  • Visited impoverished households in Huanglong Village
 [7]
December 9 afternoon Guangzhou
  • Chaired an economic work symposium, emphasizing the need to enhance awareness of potential risks.
 [7]
December 10, morning Huizhou [7]
December 11, morning Guangzhou
  • Inspected the comprehensive management of the Donghaoyong River in Yuexiu District
 [7]

During his visit and meetings, Xi Jinping repeatedly emphasized the need to adhere to the correct direction of reform and opening up.[7]

Media reports

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The overarching theme of the trip was to call for further economic reform and a strengthened military. Xi visited the statue of Deng Xiaoping and his trip was described as following in the footsteps of Deng's own southern trip in 1992, which provided the impetus for further economic reforms in China after conservative party leaders stalled many of Deng's reforms in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. On his trip, Xi consistently alluded to his signature slogan, the "Chinese Dream". "This dream can be said to be the dream of a strong nation. And for the military, it is a dream of a strong military," Xi told sailors.[9] Xi's trip was significant in that he departed from the established convention of Chinese leaders' travel routines in multiple ways. Rather than dining out, Xi and his entourage ate regular hotel buffet. He travelled in a large van with his colleagues rather than a fleet of limousines, and did not restrict traffic on the parts of the highway he travelled.[10]

During this southern tour, Chinese official media focused on promoting Xi Jinping's approachable image, such as eating with ordinary soldiers in the army,[11] getting close to citizens in Guangzhou,[12] and having only a few police cars escorting him without harassing the public.[13] During and shortly after Xi Jinping's southern tour, mainland news websites such as Tencent News displayed reports about Chongqing, including the exoneration of Chongqing police, Wang Lijun's record during his time in Chongqing, and an interview with Wen Qiang's son, on their homepages.[14][15]

Shortly before the start of the Southern Tour, a mysterious account called "Xi Fan Group" appeared on Weibo (opened on 21 November 2012, and closed on 11 February 2013, controlled by Zhang Hongming).[16] It referred to Xi Jinping as "Ping Dada" and accurately predicted and recorded every step of the Southern Tour.[17] It was always one step ahead of the official media of the CCP and even posted early photos of Xi Jinping and his family.[18] Later, according to a report from Beijing forwarded by The Washington Post, the blogger of "Xi Fan Group" was an ordinary worker. Later, a woman was arrested for leaving a mocking message on the "Xi Fan Group" account on Weibo.[19]

China News Service interviewed relevant experts in Beijing, who said that Xi's inspection of Guangdong this time was both symbolic and substantive, and its significance was no less than Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour in 1992.[20] The Xinhua News Agency reported on the trip for the first time on 12 December after the southern tour, saying that this was Xi Jinping's new declaration and mobilization order to the whole of China to deepen reform and opening up.[21]

In mid-January 2013, the magazine "Blog World" published an article revealing the conversation between four veteran cadres from Guangdong who accompanied Xi Jinping on his southern tour. Liang Guangda repeatedly quoted Deng Xiaoping's conversation with him during his southern tour in 1992. He mentioned a sentence Deng Xiaoping said in 1992: "If China does not carry out reform and opening up, it will only have a dead end." Chen Kaizhi said: "Deng Xiaoping repeatedly told the leading cadres that 'whoever does not adhere to reform and opening up will not have a good end.' He also repeatedly told the masses that 'whoever does not adhere to reform and opening up, you must defeat them.' He also said to the opposition who attacked reform and opening up and attacked the special economic zones, 'They are all talking nonsense.'"[22]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "邓小平92南巡背景揭秘 有两句话记者不敢见报" [Behind the Scenes of Deng Xiaoping’s 1992 Southern Tour: Two Remarks Reporters Dared Not Publish]. Sohu. 2012-01-13. Archived from the original on 2017-10-28. Retrieved 2017-10-29.
  2. ↑ "習近平巡廣東「力推改革堅持開放」" [Xi Jinping tours Guangdong, "strongly pushing for reform and upholding openness."]. BBC News. 2012-12-11. Archived from the original on 2012-12-13. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
  3. ↑ "盤點：2012中國之「變」" [A Review: China’s "Changes" in 2012]. BBC News. 2012-12-18. Archived from the original on 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
  4. 1 2 "習近平上任後首次出巡選擇深圳" [Xi Jinping chose Shenzhen for his first inspection tour after taking office.]. BBC News. 2012-12-07. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
  5. ↑ "习近平六年后再度考察广东 引各种解读" [Xi Jinping Visits Guangdong Again After Six Years, Sparking Various Interpretations]. BBC News. 2018-10-22. Archived from the original on 2018-10-23. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  6. ↑ Lin, Yuan; Wang, Lei (2020-10-17). "习近平总书记手植树成深圳新景观 市民前来"打卡"". Yangcheng Evening News. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "外媒:习近平广东发出深化改革最强音" [Foreign Media: Xi Jinping Sounds the Strongest Call for Deepening Reform from Guangdong]. NetEase. 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  8. ↑ "習近平向鄧小平像獻花提改革開放" [Xi Jinping lays flowers at Deng Xiaoping's statue and highlights reform and opening-up.]. BBC News. 2012-12-08. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
  9. ↑ Page, Jeremy (13 March 2013). "New Beijing Leader's 'China Dream'". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  10. ↑ Chen, Zhuang (10 December 2012). "The symbolism of Xi Jinping's trip south". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  11. ↑ "习近平考察部队细节公开：得知士兵调休后致歉" [Details of Xi Jinping's inspection of troops revealed: He apologized upon learning a soldier had been called in during scheduled time off.]. QQ.com. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-17. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  12. ↑ "习近平走访广州东濠涌 逗婴孩与民同乐" [Xi Jinping visits Guangzhou's Donghaochong; plays with a baby and shares a happy moment with the public.]. Hexun. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-05-04. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  13. ↑ "外媒：习近平考察广东只有几辆警车护卫" [Foreign media: Xi Jinping's inspection tour of Guangdong was escorted by only a few police cars.]. QQ.com. 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  14. ↑ "媒体曝重庆打黑基地残酷刑讯 打死不怕有王立军" [Media Exposes Brutal Torture at Chongqing's Anti-Gang Crackdown Base: "Beat Them to Death—Wang Lijun Has Our Backs"]. Economic Daily. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  15. ↑ "李庄曝王立军有51位秘书 有人因顶嘴被关300天" [Li Zhuang reveals Wang Lijun had 51 secretaries; one was detained for 300 days for talking back.]. Sohu. 3 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  16. ↑ "学习粉丝团疑似停止运作" ["Xuexi Fensituan" appears to have ceased operations.]. Radio France Internationale. 12 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-20.
  17. ↑ "美媒关注习近平网络粉丝团：凸显领导人亲民" [US Media Focuses on Xi Jinping's Online Fan Groups: Highlighting the Leader's Approachable Image]. Sina Corporation. 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  18. ↑ "外媒称"学习粉丝团"博主现身" [Foreign media report that the blogger behind "Xuexi Fensituan" has surfaced.]. NetEase. 2013-02-10. Archived from the original on 2013-02-16. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  19. ↑ "Activist Criminally Charged for Comment about XJP's Fan Club". Seeing Red in China. 8 February 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  20. ↑ "习近平粤行重温改革路 专家称意义不亚邓"南巡"" [Xi Jinping Revisits the Path of Reform During Guangdong Trip; Experts Say Significance Rivals Deng's "Southern Tour"]. China News Service. 2012-12-11. Archived from the original on 2012-12-16. Retrieved 2013-01-03.
  21. ↑ "习近平沿邓小平视察之路考察：改革要敢啃硬骨头" [Xi Jinping tours the route of Deng Xiaoping's inspection: Reform requires the courage to tackle the toughest challenges.]. Xinhua News Agency. Guangzhou. 2012-12-12. Archived from the original on 2012-12-15. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
  22. ↑ "习近平"南巡"前广东四老收到绝密通知 极为相似一幕" [Four Guangdong veterans received a top-secret notice prior to Xi Jinping's "Southern Tour"—a scene strikingly similar to the past.]. CPC Party Building Website. 2013-01-18. Archived from the original on 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-01-19.
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