'Defend China's honour': Beijing releases new morality guidelines for citizens

China has released new “morality” guidelines for its
citizens on everything from civic education and how parents should teach their
children to rubbish sorting and the appropriate etiquette for raising the
national flag.
The “Outline for the Implementation of the Moral
Construction of Citizens in the New Era” calls on Chinese citizens to be honest
and polite, to be “civilised” when dining, travelling, or watching a sports
competition, and “defend China’s honour” while abroad.
The guidelines, focusing heavily on promoting
patriotism, also called for the formulation of “national etiquette” for things
such as singing the national anthem, raising the national flag, or ceremonies
for when one joins the ruling Chinese communist party (CCP).
Such etiquette should “enhance people’s attitude
toward the party and country and organise a collective sense of identity and
belonging”, according to the document, released by the party’s central
committee and the state council. It also called for citizens to “carry forward
the spirit of Lei Feng”, a former soldier who has been heavily used in party
propaganda campaigns since the 1960s.
Carl Minzner, China scholar and professor of law at
Fordham Law School in New York, said: “The general goal of these guidelines is
to define ‘good’ behaviour, and that includes everything from the ethical
lessons you might want your children to internalise, from reading Peppa Pig
stories to more political concepts of civic virtue – such as how citizens
should think of their relationship with respect to their leaders.”
Released on Sunday ahead of a major leadership
meeting, the Fourth Plenum, taking place in Beijing, the guidelines underline
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s focus at the meeting – shoring up political
legitimacy during a time when Beijing faces severe challenges from protests in
Hong Kong to a slowing economy and a protracted trade war with the US.
“Under the background of profound changes in the
international and domestic situation and profound changes in China’s economic
and social development … policies and regulations, and social governance are
still not enough” the document says in its introduction. “There are still many
problems.”
Most important among the guidelines is for citizens
to treat Xi Jinping Thought as the “core” of their civic moral compass. In
contrast to a previous version, first released in 2001, several references to
other leaders in the country’s history, from Mao Zedong to Deng Xiaoping have
been omitted.
Experts say the document is a sign that propaganda
work will be ramped up, with a focus on the CCP version of Chinese traditions,
and a focus on ethics and culture.
“While Beijing still nominally adheres to the
revolutionary Marxist faith, it is steadily pivoting back to its own past in
search of an ideological basis to ground its rule and inspire its citizens,”
said Minzner.