New song celebrates China’s President Xi ‘Dada’ Jinping despite push against nickname
Provincial agency puts latest tribute online but overseas media report that Beijing has banned use of nickname originally designed to bolster his image
Yet another musical tribute to President Xi Jinping has been promoted by a provincial authority, despite reports that Beijing is trying to discourage use of a positive nickname for the leader.
The song, with a title roughly translated as “Xi Dada comes to our home”, was posted on Monday on the official WeChat account of the cyberspace watchdog in Anhui province.
It recalls Xi’s visit to Anhui last month, when he discussed reforms and poverty-relief policies with officials and villagers, and called on officials to listen to intellectuals.
The song’s release came as authorities reportedly try to rein in the popular nickname “Xi Dada” – a term of endearment that literally means “Big daddy Xi” in the dialect of his hometown.
Overseas media – citing statemedia employees – said the term “Xi Dada” had been banned among mainland media outlets, as the authorities had been trying to tone down the rhetoric portraying Xi as “a populist hero”.