Singing the 'Four Comprehensives'

0 Comment(s)Print E-mail Shanghai Daily, February 3, 2016
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An animated music video featuring a man dressed in waistcoat and trousers disco-dancing and rapping President Xi Jinping's signature "Four Comprehensives" slogan was made public yesterday.

 

Produced by Xinhua news agency, it's an attempt to explain Xi's strategy for China's long-term development.

The song explains how China will "comprehensively" build a moderately prosperous society, deepen reform, advance the rule of law and strictly govern the Communist Party.

The "Four Comprehensives" phrase was first coined by Xi in 2014.

The Chinese-language video, which also features tooting horns, a flying saucer and a giant fruit-filled wheelbarrow, begins with a countdown.

The ruddy-nosed and portly man, sporting a crew-cut, along with a giant-headed cartoon girl, repeatedly chant: "Say it with me, the four comprehensives, the four comprehensives."

"Prosperity is the goal, reform is the drive, rule of law is the guarantee, Party building is the key!" the chorus tells viewers.

"Everyone is equal before the law. Think your dad can protect you? No way!" it continues in a teasing tone.

The video, which lasts for more than three minutes, is packed with hallucinogenic imagery: a silver Rubik's cube floats in front of an undulating bullseye.

A baby monkey pops in and out of frame in reference to the Year of the Monkey, which begins on February 8.

"We have the Four Comprehensives, the Chinese dream is not far away!"

The cartoon ends with an ensemble including a construction worker, police officer, nurse and farmer all singing the "Four Comprehensives" chorus to the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy."

The video is the latest in a series of efforts that have employed catchy tunes to promote Communist Party ideology.

In December state television released a rap number featuring a tinny beat and clip-art mountains with lyrics that praised the "Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms."

Two months earlier the country's dry economic planning was given a chirpy theme song in a psychedelic animation that went viral.

It showed four cartoon characters traveling through a mint-green and fuchsia dreamscape atop lily pads, China's Great Wall and a Volkswagen bus, singing in English about the country's 13th Five-Year Plan.

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