-Non-Western Modernization in bloom
-Flowers a' blossom in the fair land
-The party led by Xi is the answer
-Hersh Nord Stream story still big
-US terrorism
-Ohio still burning (in dated footage)
-Florida on fire (lavish fresh footage
In a surprise cold open, the first person shown in the news tonight is not Xi but a foreigner!
Of course Xi's name opened the program, and the story is about Xi and how Xi is making China prosperous:
"A new look for the regional economy"
The "new look" is what the news is all about.
CCTV's mission is to show the world as Xi sees it, to see his "accomplishments" as he would like to them to be seen.
What does Xi's non-Western modernization look like?
It's container ports
It's fast trains
It's high tech displays
It's constant construction
It's cities rising in the midst
It's agriculture
(the recycled footage of "red" tomatoes on the march from field to market is a CCTV classic)
It's the humble, folksy, charming leader's every gesture, every utterance...
It's lots of file footage
It's THE EXPERT telling the experts what to do...
It's Xi's glorious coronation ceremony at the victorious 20th Party Congress. (In the opening ceremony photo below, Hu Jintao hasn't been forcibly removed yet)
It's...
-The Great Hall overlooking Tiananmen Square
-The Research Institute of Xi Jinping Economic Thought
-Minorities laboring in full costume
-And Xi's victory over Covid-19
It's...
-happy kids
-happy tractors
-harvesting grain
-red fruit on the vine
It's...
-seagulls (someone really likes bird shots, they are a fixture in the news)
-big bridges
-fast trains
-"modern" buildings
It's...
-Chinese labs making computer chips
-Industrial robots
-Construction foremen pointing at things
-It's Xiong'an, Xi's model city
It's...
-impressive pre-existing skylines attributed to Xi
-emerald fields and contour plowing
-men on high tension wires
-slogans in the workplace
It's...
-fashionably-clad beneficiaries of the status quo pointing at flowers
-ecstatic minorities breaking spontaneously into dance
-Shanghai skyscrapers
-it's the man himself, in all his glorious modesty...
During this time of trouble, the restive populace is sure to be calmed by this new publication highlighting Xi Jinping's penetrating insights into high-level science
Yet another publication by the world's greatest freelance writer:
Xi Jinping Thought on Strong Military
Why read it once when you can read it three times?
The next ten minutes is devoted to some reassuring, inspirational shots of Xi Jinping who has total control of the military and wants the world to know it.
Patrick Chovanec, a consultant at Silvercrest Asset Mgmt has done some China virtue-signaling by compiling photos about the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations, an event he evidently knows little about.
(a thread)
To do this, he compiled over a dozen of my photos on his blog , and when I brought this to his attention, he made no effort to credit the photos or reveal where he got them from. patrickchovanec.com/about/
Some of the photos now have a life of their own on the internet, including the above photo, (caption by Chovanec) which has been used by conspiratorial pro-China bloggers as proof of a "color revolution."
;-)
A political bible with quasi-religious overtones is unveiled like a holy relic.
A book by Xi Jinping! In English!
CCTV news shows the entire table of contents
Wow. It sure looks like a gripping read. Find a comfy chair, put the kettle on and settle for a long enlightening read.
CCTV FOLLIES: 5.26
China state TV doubles down on dubious Russia claims about "secret" US bio-labs in Ukraine.
(from May 26 Xinwen Lianbo)
Anchor Li Zimeng couches the accusations in the language of Russia's Defense Ministry, but the CCTV editors like the story enough for it to get major airtime.
The Russia Defense Ministry, solid architectural monolith that it is, is portrayed as a presumably authoritative source.
Read all about it! Top of the news! Yet another much-heralded publication by the indefatigable freelance writer Xi Jinping, whose excessive narcissism is nicely balanced with pictures of himself.
Up next, a nostalgic look back to 2017 when this man was laying the foundation of today's greatness.
Among many, many other incredible, almost super-human accomplishments, he created a city out of dust.