Mediaboss Marketing

Chinas state media used Donald Trumps inauguration as U.S. president to warn about the perils of democracy, touting the relative stability of the Communist system as President Xi Jinping heads toward a twice-a-decade reshuffle of senior leadership posts.

With ministries and senior officials stressing unity as a priority for China, smoothing the path for the partys congress in the fourth quarter, state media were quick to highlight divisions within America shown by Trumps elevation, without necessarily directly referencing the new president.

Democracy has reached its limits, and deterioration is the inevitable future of capitalism, according to the Peoples Daily, the flagship paper of Chinas Communist Party. It devoted an entire page on Sunday to critiquing Western democracies, quoting former Chairman Mao Zedongs 1949 poem asking people to "range far your eyes over long vistas" and saying the ultimate defeat of capitalism would enable Communism to emerge victorious.

The unusual series of commentaries in the Peoples Daily mirrors Soviet efforts to promote an alternative political and economic system during the Cold War. The rise of anti-establishment, protectionist politicians like Trump, amid populist winds on several continents, has sent political parties scurrying to shore up their support, helping China to portray itself as relatively steady.

Keep up with the best of Bloomberg Politics.

Get our newsletter daily.

Business

Your guide to the most important business stories of the day, every day.

Markets

The most important market news of the day. So you can sleep an extra five minutes.

Technology

Insights into what you'll be paying for, downloading and plugging in tomorrow and 10 years from now.

Pursuits

What to eat, drink, wear and drive in real life and your dreams.

Game Plan

The school, work and life hacks you need to get ahead.

Read more: Xi preaches openness abroad while clamping down at home

"Chinas rising wealth has brought greater global presence, but thats not enough," said Zhang Ming, a political science professor at Renmin University in Beijing. The Communist leaders want that someday China will matter globally for the nature of its political system and create its own universal values.

The commentaries came after Trump in his inauguration speech said his administration would focus on an America first approach to foreign policy, undermining hopes abroad that the new president would moderate his protectionist tone. His pledge to abandon a U.S.-led Pacific trade pact has helped China step in to advocate for an alternative Asia-wide deal.

The 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20.

Photographer: Ricky Carioti/Bloomberg

The official Xinhua News Agency congratulated Trump and said it hoped for "win-win" cooperation. An editorial in the state-backed China Daily said the countries should work toward "an updated, more desirable version of globalization."

Still, the Peoples Daily also used Trumps inauguration weekend to tout the benefits of Chinas political system. "The emergence of capitalisms social crisis is the most updated evidence to show the superiority of socialism and Marxism," it said.

"Western style democracy used to be a recognized power in history to drive social development. But now it has reached its limits," said another article on the same page. "Democracy is already kidnapped by the capitals and has become the weapon for capitalists to chase profits."

Xi during his term has called for strengthened confidence in Chinas communist system. Most recently, Chinas top judge called on his cohorts to absolutely not fall into the trap of false Western ideas such as judicial independence, separation of powers and constitutionalism.

Trumps policies are giving China a chance to take a bigger global role, said Zhang.

"China doesnt have a better Communist system than it used to have, but the global economic and political turmoil has undermined public confidence in western democracy," he said.

Still, China faces several difficulties, including questions about its rule of law and own governance among foreign companies operating there. While it has gained greater military and economic clout in Asia, it is also embroiled in territorial disputes in the East China Sea and South China Sea that have undercut its efforts to build its soft power in the region.

For Xi there is also the risk of a trade war with the Trump administration and a dispute over Chinas currency, Li Daokui, a former adviser to the Peoples Bank of China, said at a forum in Beijing in December at Tsinghua University.

"There will be several rounds of battles and China needs to be ready to think about solutions in areas that he may initiate battles," said Li, now a professor at Tsinghua. "I believe China is ready for the battles. Without going through the wars, its impossible for other nations to respect Chinas stance, and its impossible for China to become a global leader."

With assistance by Rosalind Mathieson, and Keith Zhai

Read the original:
China Slams Western Democracy as Flawed - Bloomberg