Xi Jinping handshake has bloggers thrust into the mainstream
Officials have realised that online writers may be more helpful in promoting the party line than traditional propaganda
Zhou Xiaoping, a 33-year-old blogger, went from the media margins to the mainstream in almost an instant with a handshake from President Xi Jinping.
Zhou was invited along with prominent authors, actors, scriptwriters and dancers to gathering in Beijing on October 15 where Xi called on the arts and cultural communities to serve the Communist Party.
Zhou and another blogger, Hua Qianfang, 36, were both invited as representatives of "outstanding internet writers", although it's not clear who invited them, or whether Xi actually knew them or was familiar with their work. But in Chinese dynastic practice, an audience with the emperor often means an imperial endorsement of their output - and in this case it seems to be political.
Neither is known for their depth or style but both are strongly nationalistic, and highly critical of the West. Zhou, in particular, has made a name for himself with a number of blog entries harshly critical of the US and for expressing boundless optimism in China's potential for development. "China's oriental culture will ultimately defeat Western hegemony", is typical of his entries.
Mainland media have gone into bat for the pair to reap the political and financial benefits of promoting them. A day after the meeting, several state outlets reprinted three of Zhou's blog entries - "Broken Dreams in America," "Fly, Chinese Dreams," and "Their Dreams and our Flags", in a strong show of support for his ideas.
State-run Global Times argued in successive editorials after the forum that "no matter how much the 'liberal school' ignores, disdains, or even abuses" people like Zhou, they "can't erase his voice from public opinion". On October 18, the website of flagship party newspaper People's Daily carried a lengthy interview with Zhou, headlined: "We Must Uphold Our Own Cultural Values".