Gueorguiev Quoted in WSJ on China Communist Party Propaganda Campaign

February 1, 2022

The Wall Street Journal

Dimitar Gueorguiev

Political Science Department

China

Political Parties

The Wall Street Journal

Dimitar Gueorguiev

Virtually unnoticed outside China, the campaign to build what the Communist Party calls New Era Civilization Practice Centers was quietly launched in 2018 and has since spread to some 500 urban and rural counties across the country, according to a report published Monday by ChinaFile. The centers combine instruction on party ideology with a hodgepodge of cultural activities and volunteer work, which vary widely depending on where they are located. By building the centers, the Communist Party is trying to both convince people of its generosity—and to mold them into model citizens. Dimitar Gueorguiev, associate professor of political science, says elements of the campaign are likely for show—a way for local officials to demonstrate to Mr. Xi that they are answering his call to expand the party’s influence at a grass-roots level. “That’s going to be a big part of everyone’s status. It’s going to be measured,” Gueorguiev says, referring to volunteer work. “I’m curious to what extent these centers will be tied into social evaluation, and that might be really meaningful.” Read more in the Wall Street Journal article, "China’s Communist Party Quietly Inserts Itself Into Everyday Life."