Star power outshines state propaganda in the eyes of young Chinese

When the propaganda film, The Founding of an Army, arrived in Chinese cinemas recently, the reaction wasn’t quite what the ruling Communist Party might have hoped for.

Instead of inspiring an outpouring of nationalism and self-sacrifice for the state, it was roundly mocked for trying to lure a younger audience by casting teen idols as revolutionary party leaders.

Viewers more used to seeing their idols play love interests in lighthearted soap operas responded to the film by projecting “modern-day romantic narratives on the founding fathers of the nation,” said Hung Huang, a well-known social commentator based in Beijing. “It was hilarious.”

While China’s resurgent Communist Party once pushed its policies on an unquestioning public, it now struggles to compete for attention with the country’s booming entertainment industry and the celebrity culture it has spawned.

“Chinese people are increasingly ignoring party propaganda and are much more interested in movie stars, who represent a new lifestyle and more exciting aspirations,” said Willy Lam Wo Lap, an expert on Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

President Xi Jinping, who will cement his authority with the expected endorsement of a second five-year term at the national party congress, has placed a priority on stamping out too much Western influence in Chinese society – in part so the party can dictate the values the youth should embrace.