-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.
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...
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.
Gloomy mourning rites for Jiang Zemin (10 minutes)
-Things brighten up at a CCP museum exhibit personally inspired by Xi Jinping
(It's like the Wizard of Oz going from B&W to color.)
-Russian update on Ukraine
-US stealing oil
The camera starts with Xi and his wife and then turns its hierarchy-sensitive gaze to the rest of the masked politburo. What? Xi wearing a mask? Outside in the fresh air?
Symbolism.
He's at one with the mourning elite today.
The Nightly News recounts the drama of Jiang Zemin's body being flown into Beijing.
"Jiang was a great Marxist...an outstanding leader of our great cause...an incalculable loss"
"In accordance with China's practice, foreign governments, political parties and friendly personages will not be invited."
Xi Jinping (top of the list, large print) heads the honorary funeral committee. This section includes hundreds of names and goes on for a mind-numbing five minutes.
Fun fact: Hu Jintao ranks 36th in the titular hierarchy.
Sometimes CCTV wows its viewers with spectacular images.
Dark attire is first indication that something happened.
It did.
Jiang Zemin is dead.
CCTV can make the protests go away with a magic wand, they can make Jiang's successor and Xi's predecessor disappear from the stage in real time,
but how long can they deny this story? Perhaps a short delay in the announcement of Jiang's passing to conjure up a narrative favorable to Xi, but they can't hide it for long.
Here he is. A man who helped Xi in his unexpected rise but got no gratitude. Banished like a Buddha on a shelf.
CCTV FOLLIES 11.28 China's clarion call to the world
News opens at Tiananmen. It features scenes of mass gatherings, enthusiastic youth and heroic accomplishments. It will tell a fairy tale about a nation that has rejuvenated itself under the firm guidance of a very wise man.
Today, the big news:
-Xi welcomes the Mongolian president
-Xi has a meeting with the Mongolian president
-The legendary story of how China rejuvenated under Xi
-Russia strikes military targets in Kherson
The audience is about to begin. Mongolia's president is taken to Tiananmen Square. He treads the VIP red carpet to mount the steps into the Great Hall of the People.
When the going gets hot, CCTV plays it cool.
As protests proliferate in China's cities, CCTV talks about the weather. Let it snow!
-China economy good
-Snow in north China
-Fewer fairy lights on high streets of England this year.
From Shanghai to Beijing, new businesses are doing well
Foreign Minister Wang Yi warmly welcomes the new Russian ambassador to Beijing.