The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) turned 100 on July 1. The celebration of the centenary event was kickstarted by President Xi Jinping on Thursday. The grand event comprised 70,000 delegates singing, waving and cheering in unison with great fanfare, which symbolised a nation at ease with itself. The massive nation-wide celebration was organised to send a message to the world that the party and the state was strong, unified and resilient. However, a sharp speech from the President where he warned enemy countries of colliding with “Great Wall of steel” in case they attempt to bully China clearly indicates the churns within the mighty nation and the challenges the CCP faces from outside, particularly from the US and other rival nations. While the country has managed the COVID-19 pandemic better than any other large nation in the world and has maintained a high economic growth throughout the pandemic, the regime under Xi has turned brittle and unpopular in many parts of the world, largely because of the manner in which it has handled Hong Kong, the issue of the Uyghurs, and how it has responded to a series of events since the onset of COVID-19 outbreak. Importantly, the CCP’s dubious and suspicious activities via the United Front Work Department (UFWD)—its propaganda arm—has become a major cause of concern in many parts of the world.
As CCP turns 100, attention must shift to its influence operations | ORF (orfonline.org)