China's official mouthpiece launches English-language app in hope of boosting global influence

People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party, launched an English-language mobile application on Sunday in what it called a “strategic step” to strengthen Beijing’s influence internationally.

The newspaper, which sold an average of 3.18 million copies a day last year, launched a Chinese app three years ago that it says has been downloaded 200 million times.

The app launch comes ahead of a key party congress expected to confirm a second term for President Xi Jinping, who has been keen to demonstrate China’s increasing global influence.

“To develop an English app is a strategic move to … further enhance our global influence and presence,” People’s Daily Newspaper Group president Yang Zhenwu said at a ceremony at a brand new headquarters in Beijing, in the presence of senior government officials.

“We are striving to achieve what President Xi has asked, namely to speak well of China and to spread his word well.”

The Communist Party’s Central Committee representative, vice-minister Guo Yezhou, said it was “very important to tell the world about the theories and philosophy” of the CCP and to “tell good stories about China and the [party].”