The 2012 Chinese leadership change

The 2012 Chinese Leadership
Change
EDED20476: Applied Communication Arts
Assignment 3 Term Three 2013
Robert Puffett S0228769

Background
• November 2012: Xi Jinping is appointed General Secretary of the
Communist Party and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
• March 2013: Confirmed as the head of state, Xi takes over from Hu Jintao
as President
• This leadership change has been covered by the mass media of both China
and the west and exhibits many of the theories of mass communication,
particularly Agenda setting, framing and priming theory
• The Leadership change was a highly staged affair to assure the Chinese
people and the rest of the world that China was in safe hands
• Western media took note of the image management that the government
was projecting and the general message of the leadership. It also sought
to contextualise the process in terms of Western democracy
• Western media that have been critical of the Chinese Communist Party
and its leaders, leading up to the leadership transition, have been blocked
online.
• Academics have noted the complicity of the new private media to
promote the Chinese government agenda, thereby not providing a viable
alternative to government media outlets
• The Chinese people have become adept at decoding media messages in
modern China, and are sceptical and cynical of the messages they receive
• Western media generally focuses on issues that will sell papers to its
audience

Agenda Setting Theory
• “The news media, by and large, do not set out to
persuade, but rather to inform. We are first of all
suggesting that the media, in telling us what to think
about, set the public agenda; that is they tell us what
issues are important for public debate. The idea
behind agenda setting is quite simple: The media,
over time, by featuring some issues prominently, and
still other issues not at all, give us a sense of what
issues are important or, in the research literature, a
sense of the issue’s salience. By salience, we mean
the amount of public or political importance an issue
possesses-the “light and heat” it generates.”
(Grossberg et al 2006)

Framing theory
• Framing theory refers to how the mass media present or ‘frame’
information. In relation to news events, and related to agenda
setting, the mass media determine the interpretation of events.
• The main aspects of framing according to communications theorist
Robert M. Entman are: definition of the problem; diagnosis of the
cause; moral judgement; and suggested remedies.
• These aspects are carried out using textual devices such as: the use
of certain words and phrases; the choice of certain pictures or film;
and the making of certain contextual references.
• The effects of these textual devices can be exemplified in the
Australian context in the media coverage of the war in Afghanistan.
For example it is commonly and repetitively referred to as a ‘war on
terror’, a framing that interprets the actions of the Australian armed
forces as heroic and right.

Priming Theory
• Priming theory is often seen as a more specific aspect of
agenda setting. The ‘effect’ promotes certain evaluative
criteria.
• Priming theory is described by political psychologist Shanto
Iyengar, in reference to news coverage, as, “ While agenda-
setting reflects the impact of news coverage on the perceived
importance of national issues, priming refers to the impact of
news coverage on the weight assigned to specific issues on
making political judgements.”
• For example, using a current issue in the Australian media,
much attention in the news has been on illegal boat arrivals.
This agenda-setting issue, has primed or given weight to the
evaluation of various politicians performances, that is
whether they are tough or weak on these arrivals.

Other significant theories
• The Spiral of Silence theory assumes society isolates individuals
that differ from the norm; individuals constantly experience fear
of isolation; this fear leads to an ongoing assessment of the
climate of opinion; this assessment affects an individuals public
behaviour especially their willingness to openly express opinion.
• This tends to result in people concealing views that are in the
minority, or more willingness to express views that are dominant
in a society.
• Transgressive theory is particularly pertinent for our social
media world, this theory implies that mass media
communication is now two way and people are expressing their
opinion on the issues of the day, especially online.
• The Two-Step Flow theory contends that ‘opinion leaders’,
media commentators, that other people, ‘followers’, respect,
influence the effects of the messages of mass media on those
followers.

Interview with Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Politics at
the China Studies Centre, University of Sydney, 22nd January
2014.
First
thoughts
about the
Chinese
leadership
change of
2012

Is China’s media like North Korea’s?

Image management – a “smooth transition” and
leaders “from the people”
Photos and reports of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on
China.org.cn, the Chinese government authorised portal site.
http://www.china.org.cn/china/18th_cpc_congress/2012-11/15/content_27126777.htm
http://www.china.org.cn/china/18th_cpc_congress/node_7167320.htm
“Their election marked a smooth top leadership
transition following the 16th national congresses of the
Party in 2002.
The smooth transition suggests that the Party is moving
steadily towards an established norm regarding the
handing over of power, which will be crucial for sustained
stability and development of the country, analysts
observed.”
“FROM THE PEOPLE
The seven Standing Committee members of
the Political Bureau have witnessed and
endured China's vicissitudes and hardships
over the last six decades, including the
Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)…. Such
experiences, analysts observed, gave them
keen insight into China's situation and helped
them understand the people's woes and
expectations.”

Image management - They’ve done it before, they’re
well trained, and they have what it takes.
“GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE
As observed by Professor Xie, the new generation of
leaders have shown "capacity in controlling overall
situations and tackling complicated emergencies" and "are
well prepared for challenges and ready to take
opportunities."
All of them boast rich governance experience, climbing the
Party cadre echelon step by step.”
“THEORETICAL GROUNDING, GLOBAL VISION
…Notably, they received a complete and systematic
education on the mainstream ideology of socialism, which
had a formative effect on their views and values, said Dai
Yanjun, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central
Committee.”
“THE RIGHT FORMULA
In the eyes of Huang Yebin, a delegate to the Party
congress, the new generation of leadership are "energetic,
trustworthy and with both integrity and capacity."
"I'm sure they will lead the nation to a prosperous society,"
Huang said…. Daniel Bell and Eric Li, a professor of political
theory at Qinghua University in Beijing and a Shanghai-
based venture capitalist, wrote in the British newspaper,
"The Chinese political system has undergone significant
change over the past three decades and it comes close to
the best formula for governing a large country.
"It (Chinese regime) should be improved on the basis of
this formula, not western style democracy," they observed.

The View from the West
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-08/chinas-communist-party-congress-analysts-tipping/4359904
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT – ABC AM RADIO 08/11/2012
TONY EASTLEY: In a few hours the Communist Party Congress in Beijing will open as the country prepares
to usher in its new leadership.
The exact makeup of China's cabinet, the Politburo Standing Committee, is still a closely guarded secret but
according to many analysts the more conservative elements in the party may have won the day.
This could slow the pace of any reforms that the president-in-waiting Xi Jinping might have had in mind.
China correspondent Stephen McDonell, who will be covering the Congress over the next seven days from
the Great Hall of the People, prepared this preview.
(Sound of band music)
STEPHEN MCDONELL: Every 10 years Beijing changes its top leaders as the largest political organisation on
the planet, the Chinese Communist Party, holds its Congress.
A six-day meeting will kick off this morning. Then on the seventh day China's new cabinet will walk out and
reveal itself to the world.
In the meantime the makeup of the Politburo Standing Committee will remain a closely guarded secret.
There was once a time when these gatherings could mean political retribution and great uncertainty but,
according to Joseph Cheng from Hong Kong's City University, these days the party presents its Congress as
part of a natural, smooth transition process.

JOSEPH CHENG: It is important not only to foreign investors but to the domestic population as well that they
do not have to worry about political struggles like in the Cultural Revolution days. They can be reassured of a
relatively stable political and economic environment.
STEPHEN MCDONELL: China's economy seems to be picking up again but the country they will take over is
facing huge social challenges.
JOSEPH CHENG: The idea of fighting the government, of fighting the party, has become a common one.
People are willing to stand up if their interests are affected. So you have a lot of protests against
appropriation of land without satisfactory compensation.
STEPHEN MCDONELL: In theory this should actually play to one of Xi Jinping's strong suits. He's been
ordained as the new leader of China and this'll become official with the end of the Congress.
Xi Jinping is the son of a revolutionary hero who went on to run the wealthy, market-oriented Eastern
provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang.
And though he could be seen as part of the privileged Party elite, as a teenager he worked in the fields
during the Cultural Revolution. His supporters say this gives him an affinity with ordinary people.
But the degree to which he can act on just about anything will be limited by the final makeup of the
Politburo Standing Committee - in particular how many conservatives are chosen.
Yet before any of this becomes clear this Congress will first celebrate the achievements of the previous
leadership.
In a few hours president Hu Jintao will make a key speech to try and shore up his place in history.
His critics would say that it's been a decade without reform but he'll be telling his people that they've
delivered pretty solid growth at a time of great economic uncertainty.
This is Stephen McDonell in Beijing for AM.

Xi speaks to the world
"Our people have an ardent love for life. They wish to have better education, more stable jobs,
more income, greater social security, better medical and health care, improved housing conditions,
and a better environment," Xi said.
"They want their children to have sound growth, have good jobs and lead a more enjoyable life. To
meet their desire for a happy life is our mission. It is only hard work that creates all happiness in
the world," he said.
"To fulfil our responsibility, we will rally and lead the whole Party and the people of all ethnic
groups in China in making continued efforts to free up our minds, carry out reform and opening up,
further release and develop the productive forces, work hard to resolve the difficulties the people
face in both work and life, and unwaveringly pursue common prosperity," Xi said.
"We have taken on this important responsibility for the Party. Our Party is dedicated to serving the
people. It has led the people in making world-renowned achievements, and we have every reason
to take pride in these achievements," Xi said.
"But we are not complacent, and we will never rest on our laurels. Under the new conditions, our
Party faces many severe challenges, and there are also many pressing problems within the Party
that need to be resolved, particularly corruption, being divorced from the people, going through
formalities and bureaucracy caused by some Party officials," Xi said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/special/18cpcnc/2012-11/15/c_131976383.htm

Not a good time for a scandal
“China has lashed out at a US newspaper report that premier Wen Jiabao's family has
amassed vast wealth worth at least $2.7bn (£1.68bn), censoring the New York Times website
and questioning the paper's motivations.
The story said Wen, widely seen as the humane face of China's top leadership, was not
directly linked to the holdings. But the association with such a fortune was in stark contrast
to the man-of-the-people image he has cultivated.
A foreign ministry spokesman said the report "blackens China's name and has ulterior
motives". Censors blocked the paper's Chinese language website, at least partially obstructed
access to its main site, and banned microblog searches for New York Times in English and
Chinese.”
…..The report is damaging not only to Wen, but also to the Communist party. It has faced
months of unwelcome scrutiny while preparing for a once-in-a-decade leadership transition
– mostly thanks to the scandal surrounding disgraced leader Bo Xilai and his wife Gu Kailai's
conviction for murdering a British businessman.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/26/china-wen-jiabao-family-wealth-revealed

Xi Jinping also not immune from the
western media
“Xi Jinping, the man in line to be China’s next president, warned officials on a 2004 anti-graft
conference call: “Rein in your spouses, children, relatives, friends and staff, and vow not to use
power for personal gain.”
As Xi climbed the Communist Party ranks, his extended family expanded their business interests to
include minerals, real estate and mobile-phone equipment, according to public documents
compiled by Bloomberg.
Those interests include investments in companies with total assets of $376 million; an 18 percent
indirect stake in a rare- earths company with $1.73 billion in assets; and a $20.2 million holding in a
publicly traded technology company. The figures don’t account for liabilities and thus don’t reflect
the family’s net worth….
No assets were traced to Xi, who turns 59 this month; his wife Peng Liyuan, 49, a famous People’s
Liberation Army singer; or their daughter, the documents show. There is no indication Xi intervened
to advance his relatives’ business transactions, or of any wrongdoing by Xi or his extended family”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-29/xi-jinping-millionaire-relations-reveal-fortunes-of-
elite.html

Blocked
“The blocking of foreign news sites that revealed details of offshore holdings by the relatives of senior
leaders has continued in China as reports emerged of a propaganda directive ordering websites and
services to target users posting on the subject.
Details of the order were published by China Digital Times, a website that monitors censorship instructions.
“Immediately find and remove the foreign media report “China’s Secret Offshore Tax Havens” and related
content. Interactive platforms must strictly check [users]. Related images and accusatory comments about
leaders and the system [of government] must be deleted without exception,” said the instructions,
according to CDT.
“Block the [user] IDs of those who have an evil influence and coordinate on-the-ground investigations with
the relevant departments.”
Such directives are often delivered verbally and are extremely sensitive. The Guardian has not verified the
order independently.
The website Greatfire.org, which monitors which overseas sites are censored by China, reported that the
Guardian, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and six more sites that worked on
the project were partly or completely blocked. The sites began to experience access problems around the
time they published the reports.
The New York Times and Bloomberg websites have been blocked in China since 2012, when they carried
reports on the wealth of leaders’ families”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/23/china-foreign-news-sites-offshore-
holdings?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Media Commercialisation and Authoritarian
Rule in China by Daniela Stockmann
“This book adds to this discussion as it examines the circumstances under which
marketization of media benefits authoritarian rule and the mechanisms that tie state,
media, and audiences together. Media marketization provides incentives for media and the
state. Yet one-party regimes, like China, are better able than other authoritarian
states to maintain the capacity to enforce press restrictions with the help of institutions in
charge of monitoring news content. Moreover, political leaders are able to take advantage of
market mechanisms as it reduces the exercise of coercion through these institutions to a
minimum. If audience demands already encourage media practitioners to produce news biased
in support of the political goals and policies of the leadership, there is little need to issue
instructions. The interaction between institutions and the market synchronize political messages
in the news in favour of the regime.
At the same time, however, media marketization makes a big difference to the people
living under authoritarian rule. Marketized media brand themselves as trustworthy
representatives of ordinary citizens, leading to greater credibility in the eyes of audiences.
This credibility boost entailed in media marketization promotes consumption and
persuasiveness – especially among potential political activists. As a result, media
marketization strengthens the ability of one-party regimes to disseminate information and
shape public opinion in a way conducive to their rule.”

Private media more trusted (but not much more)

Interview with apprehensive Chinese students from the
University of Sydney, Centre for English Teaching
In late January 2012 I interviewed 2 classes of predominantly Chinese students, I filmed the
sessions but guaranteed that it was only for note taking purposes and the footage would not
be used in any way, shape or form. There was an obvious fear that speaking about the media
and censorship would not be condoned by the Chinese government, so the vast majority of
students remained silent, with only a handful of outspoken ones, Below are the topics
covered, with verbatim responses from the students highlighted.
When Xi Jinping was travelling to other countries
from 2010 onwards “it was quite clear” that he would
be the next leader. Other students said they knew in
2007 when he became vice-President because, “if he
became vice-President, he will be the president”.
His image is one of “anti-corruption“ and he is not
immune from potential disgrace, “I think Xi Jinping is
not the emperor in China”. When asked do you ever
hear or read a bad word about Xi Jinping, the
response was, “No, never”. Other sensitive issues
such as the cultural revolution are not discussed in
the media, only “under the table”, the main story of
China since the 2008 Olympics is, “Yes the moral is,
we have money”.

Talking about media, belief in government owned media was “half half” and private media
was still seen as, “in the control (of the government)”, despite getting most information
from social media, “it is still in control of central government “.
It is understood that the media is under control, “except the media in Hong Kong, so most
of the million people believe the media in Hong Kong, cause it’s more justice…if we want to
know something, the truth, we will log onto the website, but maybe Hong Kong’s or
Macau’s”
In relation to the Chinese version of Twitter, ‘Weibo’ it was noted that it was not as easily
controlled by the government, “they want to, but we have more than 600 million users, it’s
impossible to control, sometimes they will delete some information, not all of it, because
there are too many users.”

China’s Media Landscape
Internet
Sina Weibo Microblog Over 500 million registered users/46.2
million active users daily
Sina.com.cn News portal website 163 million unique visitors
Tencent Weibo Microblog About 540 million registered users/100
million active users daily
Tencent Qzone
Nickname SNS, blogs, home pages 626.4 million active users monthly
Tencent WeChat
Mobile text & voice messaging, friend networks 235.8 million active users monthly
QQ.com News portal website 284.1 million unique visitors
Baidu Post Bar Forum and Q&A Over 200 million registered users
Baidu Search engine Over 72.9 million visitors daily
Taobao Online mall C2C 46.1 million visitors daily (combined);
and T Mall ecommerce over 1 trillion RMB sales in 2012

Internet cont.
Youku & Tudou
Companies have merged; video sharing and viewing, including TV shows Youku:
over 8.53 million visitors daily
Tudou: over 2.1 million visitors daily
Douban Interest based, nickname SNS Over 100 million unique visitors
monthly
Renren Real name SNS 184 million active users
Sohu News portal website 175 million unique visitors daily
Netease News portal website 23 million unique visitors daily
iFeng News portal website 5 million visitors daily
Caixin Financial business & politics news 79,000 visitors daily
Yicai Financial & economic news 64,200 visitors daily

Radio and TV
China National Radio
中央人民广播电台 Radio Over 700 million listeners
CCTV
中国中央电视台 State television broadcaster in mainland China with multiple channels
200 million to a billion viewers
HunanTV
湖南卫视 Top provincial satellite TV station focused on entertainment programs
65 to 800 million viewers
Print Newspapers and magazines copies
Reference News
参考消息 Newspaper 3.4 million
People’s Daily
人民日报 Newspaper 2.8 million
Global Times
环球时报 Newspaper 2 million
Southern Weekly
南方周末 Newspaper 1.7 million
New Weekly新周刊
Current events and lifestyle magazine 310,000
Southern People Weekly
南方人物周刊 Magazine focusing on interviews 200,000
http://www.danwei.com/a-guide-to-chinas-media-landscape/

The portrayal of China in the Western
Media

After 6 years as a correspondent in China for the SMH
“His time as correspondent at an end, John Garnaut reflects on what he has learnt and what
is still to be learnt about the Middle Kingdom.”
On Urbanisation….”We sped down a 10-lane airport expressway which had replaced the
bumpy concrete road on which old men in faded Mao jackets had once led donkeys and
trays of watermelons to market. The wheat fields around our old apartment at the Lido
Hotel, ….were sprouting high-rise apartments as far as the smog enabled us to see.”
On Corruption…. “I had seriously underestimated the extent to which the Communist Party
had inoculated itself against the values and institutions of the European Enlightenment that
underpinned capitalism in the West. The webs of patronage, bribery and thuggery that had
so shocked me in Beijing's western hills extended deep into the political machine. The tools
of coercion, co-option and censorship – so effective in revolution and keeping the party in
power – were being deployed for the benefit of individuals within the elite.”
On Censorship…. “Yang lived with his family in Sydney but worked at the centre of a vast
Chinese network of extraordinary journalists, intellectuals and activists. They were forcefully
but strategically using their keyboards to lean against the state's resurgent power and
challenge its monopoly on truth…. China had arrived in the age of Sina Weibo. Despite
severe restrictions, a virtual civil society was constructing itself where physical networks
could not. My earlier grassroots explorations were now being made by hundreds of more
capable Chinese.”
http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-inside-out-20130607-2nvnw.html#ixzz2s8tcI7s1

Online activism
“And yet for all the restrictions, social media and other
communication advances have given normal Chinese a channel,
however controlled, to express themselves in a way they could not
have done when Hu first came to power. In a country where politics
has been divorced from the populace at large, ordinary Chinese now
have a voice online. They are using this newfound power to plot the
downfall of corrupt local politicians and raise a ruckus about
polluting local factories. They do so while constantly dodging online
censors who are so paranoid, they are now thwarting searches for
86-year-old former leader Jiang’s name. Sites like Facebook and
Twitter are banned, and in the lead-up to the party congress, certain
international news websites were blocked and Internet speed
slowed to the pace of a somnolent tortoise for some users.”
http://world.time.com/2012/11/08/code-red-chinas-leadership-transition-begins-amid-
pomp-and-security/#ixzz2s8yyjaV3

Conclusions
• Agenda Setting: in regards to the Chinese government who effectively control all
media in China, whether overtly with CCTV or Xinhua or in complicity with private
media, certain issues are not allowed in the media such as information about high
ranking officials financial assets. When the New York Times revealed Wen Jaibao’s
family assets, it resulted in the blocking of their website in China, When Bloomberg
news revealed the extended family assets of Xi Jinping, its website was also blocked.
• Any issue that the authorities feel is not for the public e.g. Taiwan, Tibet, Falun Gong is
restricted by the Publicity department of the Communist Party, the de facto
propaganda unit of the Chinese government
• In regards to the western media, it seems all issues are on the table, with particular
favourites being the rising economy of China, urbanisation, pollution, corruption (at
any level), censorship, human rights and the authoritarian system
• Framing theory: The very staged leadership change of the 18th National Congress of
the Chinese Communist Party was a highly framed event to give the impression of
continuity and stability of government, as well as to present the leaders as
conservative (read safe) and respected. This was emphasised and reinforced especially
in the state media of China, with this representation being observed and noted in the
western media.

• The multiple methods of framing employed by the Chinese media include: the use of
myth and legend, especially in regards to Xi Jinping’s ‘re-education’ in the countryside
with peasants during his high school years, or his anti-corruption efforts in his postings
as party chief in Shanghai
• Another method is traditions and ceremonies that provide a pattern to confirm and
reproduce societal values, this can be seen in Xi Jinping’s overseas visits to heads of
state, as well as to citizens in far flung corners of China.
• The use of certain words or phrases have also helped to frame his leadership, in his
speeches, or in media reports of his leadership, he is reinforcing his message that he is
a champion for China. He will ‘work hard’, ‘improve’ or ‘better’ the situation for the
Chinese people, he will face ‘challenges’ and ‘pressing problems’ especially
‘corruption’ because he is ‘dedicated’ to the people and will not be ‘complacent’ in his
role.
• The use of certain words and phrases can also be seen in the western media in
relation to the differences with democratic political systems. Phrases such as ‘closely
guarded secret’ reveal the contrast to the more open and transparent political
machinations of the west. Mention of ‘his critics’, that would never be mentioned in
the Chinese media, are also a contrast to the more balanced media of the west.

• Priming theory: The media have done and continue to do an effective job of priming
the Chinese population, and to a lesser extent the rest of the world, in regards to Xi
Jinping. The image put forth of him being a ‘down to earth’ one of the people, who is
a true socialist, a fighter of corruption and excess, he is also highly educated and the
right man to continue the transformation of China. And like politicians in all countries,
he is travelling and meeting citizens from all walks of life and engages in photo
opportunities that continue to build this image in the Chinese publics mind.
• Spiral of Silence Theory: When speaking with the Chinese students it became
apparent that they were hesitant to speak out in a public forum with fellow Chinese
present, in case they were the deviant voice. I was approached after one of these
forums, by a student who told me that a lot of the issues raised in the discussion e.g.
Uyghar unrest in North West China, were taboo in China and made many of the
students feel uncomfortable.
• Transgressive Theory: While traditional media doesn’t ordinarily allow for robust two
way discussion of issues in Chinese society, online media does so to a certain extent.
Despite online censors and banned keywords, activists are adept at managing these
hurdles with coded words and by safeguarding anonymity.
• Two step theory: As stated by the Chinese students and mentioned by Professor
Brown, the ultimate ‘opinion leader’ for the sceptical and cynical Chinese media
consumer is the Hong Kong and Macau media. A free media that is trusted and
respected, over the mainland media.

References
Campbell, R 2002 media & culture: an introduction to mass communication, 3rd edn,
Bedfords St. Martins, Boston
Grossberg, L, Wartella, E, Charles Whitney, D & MacGregor Wise, J 2006 MediaMaking:
Mass Media in a Popular Culture, 2nd edn, Sage Publications, California
McQuail, D 2005 McQuail’s Mass Communication Theory, 5th edn, Sage Publications, London
Storey, J 2009 Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction, 5th edn, Pearson
Education, U.K.
Vivian, J 2008 The Media of Mass Communication, 8th edn, Pearson Education, U.S.A.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-08/chinas-communist-party-congress-analysts-
tipping/4359904
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/special/18cpcnc/2012-11/15/c_131976383.htm

The 2012 Chinese leadership change

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