"Great ideas are bound to appear in great times."


These are the words of Wang Yi, State Councilor and Director in charge of foreign affairs at the establishment of the Xi Jinping Center for Diplomatic Thoughts held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in July of last year.

Director Wang praised "President Xi Jinping, with the excellent insight of a great strategist, judged the international situation and the historical direction China is facing, embodying the characteristics of China and the spirit of the times."

"It is necessary to deeply learn and understand Xi Jinping's diplomatic ideology, which is a groundbreaking and significant achievement in the construction of a new China diplomatic theory," he said.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the center is in charge of research, interpretation, and publicity of Xi Jinping's diplomatic thought, as well as theory, practice, policy, and dissemination.




On the 26th of last month (June), China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China had approved the establishment of seven additional research centers to study President Xi Jinping's ideas.

If you look closely at the places where they are installed, they are the National Development and Reform Commission (Development and Development Committee), which is the department in charge of economic planning, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Chinese Law Society, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, etc.

On the 5th and 7th, the Development Committee and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment already held the 'Xi Jinping Economic Thought Research Center' and the 'Xi Jinping Ecological Civilization Thought Research Center' inauguration ceremony respectively.

The Hong Kong media South China Morning Post (SCMP) also explained, "The reason why the research centers were established in Fujian and Zhejiang was because President Xi worked there in the past, and Shandong was chosen because it was the birthplace of Confucianism."



Previously, in 2017, China established a total of 10 Xi Jinping Thought Research Centers affiliated with major educational institutions such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Central Tang School, as well as local governments such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

Including the Center for the Study of Diplomatic Thoughts established last year, there are currently 18 centers.

The Xinhua News Agency reported that "the research centers will further revitalize the study of the CCP's innovative theories, better arm the Party with the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and inspire people."


“You have to be seen as a great-minded leader in every way.”

The Xi Jinping Thought Research Center appeared like a bamboo shoot right after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which announced the inauguration of President Xi Jinping's second term in October 2017. At the party congress, the Communist Party of China immediately raised the ideology of President Xi Jinping's rule of rule, 'the rule of law (治國理政)', under the name of 'Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era'. The Chinese Communist Party immediately published 'Xi Jinping Thought' as the guiding ideology of the party, following Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, Theory of Three Representatives, and the View on Scientific Development. In particular, when the Communist Party of China specifies ideology, it is suggested that President Xi Jinping has become a leader of the Mao Zedong class because it is delayed by listing the ideology in the order of attention, ideology, theory, and government.



The day after the 19th Party Congress, Renmin University in Beijing, China, announced that it would open the 'Xi Jinping New Era Socialist Thought with Chinese Characteristics Research Center'. Renmin University explained, "The Research Center is an academic institution that specializes in the study of the 'ideology of socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era' that is embedded in President Xi Jinping's policy of state management." Then, other famous universities also announced the establishment of related research centers.




The establishment of 18 ideological research centers, especially the establishment of research centers by field, is unprecedented.

In the case of the 'Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought and Diplomacy Center', although China has compiled the leader's foreign policies and phrases and published them in books or state-run media, this is the first time that a diplomatic research center named after the leader has been established.



The SCMP analyzed that President Xi Jinping's Thought Research Center was intended to promote his ideology and consolidate his grip on power.

Alfred Wu, a professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, told SCMP, "In the past, economic policy was under the jurisdiction of the prime minister. You have to show it,” he explained.

Professor Wu continued, "It is a Chinese tradition that great leaders should be great thinkers. What is happening now is a combination of communism and Confucianism."


'Deification' to the ranks of Mao Zedong...

After the 19th Party Congress, a phenomenon reminiscent of the personal worship of President Xi Jinping during the days of former President Mao Zedong began to appear.

A bust of President Xi Jinping appeared in online shopping malls, and some military units made a booklet called 'President Xi Jinping's Sayings' and used it as a learning material for front-line officers and soldiers.

In 2018, the “Xi Jinping Thought Train” also appeared.

In July 2018, the government of Changchun City, the capital of Jilin Province, China, decorated the entire subway room in red to commemorate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and decorated it with the words of President Xi and political slogans everywhere.

The Changchun Municipal Government described this train as "a spiritual manual that condenses Xi Jinping's ideas."




Propaganda work to elevate Xi to a Mao Zedong-level leader was stalled in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, the atmosphere was reversed by blocking the voice of criticism of the super-strength of the city blockade and the Corona 19 situation with censorship and control.

The conflict with the United States was also used as a means of emphasizing internal unity and the legitimacy of the Communist Party, especially the leadership of the current leadership, by stimulating patriotism with the frame of 'opposing foreign pressure to prevent the revival of the Chinese nation'.



And on the 1st, President Xi Jinping held a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the largest of its kind ever.

It was evaluated that it is one step closer to the third consecutive term, which will be confirmed at the 20th Party Congress in October next year.

The Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has instructed all regions and ministries to seriously study and practice the important spirit and content of President Xi's commemorative speech.




It is unclear whether the number of Xi Jinping Thought Research Centers will stop at 18. Earlier, in March, China announced the '14th Five-Year Plan and Long-Term Goals for 2035' at the two meetings (National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), the largest annual political event in March. The part of the explanation included the plan to promote the construction of the 'Study Center for Thought on Socialism with Xi Jinping Characteristics (won)' and the 'Research Center for Theory System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics' As 'patriotism' and 'education of ideology' played a major role in creating the basis for President Xi Jinping's one-man power and long-term rule, the intensity is not expected to decrease easily until a second term or even after the term is confirmed.