Phil Cunningham Profile picture
金培力 CCTV FOLLIES at https://t.co/Ytx660bYM5 Fulbright, Knight, Nieman Fellow. @jinpeili.bsky.social @jinpeili@ieji.de

Nov 29, 2022, 48 tweets

CCTV FOLLIES 11.29 Xi on the top of the world

-Ten year's of success under Xi
-No corner of China untouched by the Xi "touch"
-Covid prevention now even more correct than before
-Xi congratulates Russia-China on energy ties
-Putin does too
-Russia bombs Ukrainian tanks

Another big news day at CCTV, which starts out with an 8-minute segment of scenic canned footage. Some of the footage is stunning, but it's all in service to the party line.

CCTV takes us to a far-away, but not forgotten corner of China where the roads are narrow and winding.

With new roads, the previously unreachable is now reachable.

And what good news that is for farmers. Bumper crops and abundant grain. Juicy grapes.

The minorities dress colorfully and smile, sometimes even sing, while working.

The rural folk gather excitedly to see the harbinger of change. Who is the exalted visitor?
Xi Jinping is here!
Avuncular, wise, humble, modest, he chats with villagers and tells the story of China's communist party well.

The farmers find creative ways to express their gratitude, giving up productive land to slogans.

Xi's catchwords etched in stone inspire laborers to labor under all kinds of conditions.
"Targeted Poverty Elimination" (copyright Xi Jinping)

There is no obstacle that cannot be surmounted

Brick by brick, a new town is born.

And who do you thank?
Who do you think?
It's the "Chinese dream" (copyright Xi Jinping)

When the party secretary huddles with the unwashed masses, he likes to show solidarity by gulping down some of the local moonshine. It's strong.
CCTV now regularly features liquor ads (not fancy foreign drinks like wine or beer) but for Maotai and other potent local liquors.

The road to success has been long and winding, but minorities appreciate every intrusion of the Han state.
Here some villagers saying hello to a passing train.

The remote countryside is getting wired, too.

How best to thank the party (and the visiting CCTV crew) than to dance with joy?

More joy. Spontaneous fun. Harmony.

Actually, the ladies in the motorized brigade look like they're having a genuinely good time.

The joy brought to the people by Xi and the CCP is almost boundless. Even kids get it.

Thank you, CCP. Thank you, Xi.

You are like a light to the nation, lighting up smiles wherever you go.

But despite his guarded greatness, the general secretary likes to mingle with the people. He is knowledgeable and can solve their problems at a glance.

Even nature sings with praise.

And it can all be traced back to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing...
The CCP truly toils for the people

The victorious 20th Congress is proof of that.

note: Former President Hu Jintao was irritable and otherwise indisposed and thus unable to attend the full meeting even though he was invited.

Good tidings are in the air...

Lame duck Premier Li Keqiang Zooms it in with his Kazakhstan counterpart Smailov.

Even bigger news, Russia and China discuss energy. Both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin send their regards.

On the Chinese side of the meeting every participant is masked
On the Russian side, not so much
But its virtual, so there's not too much to worry about.

Han Zheng represents China's upright position.
As President Xi says...
"China promotes energy security for the whole planet"

A slow news day such as this is a good time to bask in China's considerable space accomplishments

"We are waiting for you!"

(a new Shenzhou crew soon on the way)

In the last ten months, economic indications are up

Cheng Youquan of China's CDC makes an indirect reference to protests not in the news because in CCTV land they didn't happen.

"Problems highlighted by public are not aimed at the epidemic prevention and control itself but focus on simplifying prevention and control measures"

Another health official, Guo Yanhong, speaks of different needs of different places, the need for more beds in Beijing and the urgent need to crackdown on testing site illegalities.

...implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and resolutely safeguard national security and social stability...
...to tenaciously pursue the general policy of dynamic zero-COVID while optimizing it with the 20-point program...

One example of optimization is not having to get tested every day if you never step outside or if you live in a state-certified "pestilence free community"

"I feel like the Covid prevention policies are getting better all the time"

China stats on left US stats on right

Photo from China vs US. Spot the difference?

And now it's over to you, Moscow, to tell us what is really happening in Ukraine...

Russian Foreign Defense Ministry footage follows...

Russia's awesome precision missiles target tanks in Ukraine.

...but Ukraine fights back.

But the story really starts here,at the Pentagon, because
US support for Ukraine is calculated to bring the US maximum advantage, discourage peace talks and add fuel to the fire.

Thus begins CCTV's schadenfreude segment...

More gunfire on more streets in the crime-ridden US

And on top of that, avian flu.
Thousands of birds have been killed.
But it's not just the US suffering from nature's wrath...

The UK, too, is suffering from Avian flu and it's really out of control...

What's more, the biggest volcano on earth, located in the US state of Hawaii, just started popping.

And that's all for now, viewers.

Good night!

Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.

A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.

Keep scrolling