Beijing creates internet rap video to ‘big up’ parliament
BEIJING’S propaganda department is pumping up the volume for its annual parliament meeting, with videos starring a rapper rhyming about his “elation” for the session.
While Chinese state media regularly rolls out clips targeted at foreign audiences during important political events, this year’s production has raised eyebrows among viewers.
Xinhua, China’s official news agency, co-produced a rap video to celebrate the “two sessions”, an annual meeting of the rubber-stamp parliament – the National People’s Congress – and the country’s top political advisory body.
Entitled Two Sessions: To the World from China, the video is rich in rhymes that often appear incoherent. The song boasts about the country’s social and scientific achievements, from anti-pollution measures to poverty alleviation programmes and the Moon landing.
“I got elation from inspiration writing a compliment song for the nation while I’m talking about two sessions,” raps Su Han, the singer in the music video.
“Monkey King to the west, legendary dragon to the sky, y’all know it’s time for Chinese miracle,” he goes on.
It is not the first time that Chinese state media has used rap in an effort to make propaganda more catchy, building up a repertoire of songs and catchphrases such as the “Chinese Dream”.
Last year, the Communist Party mouthpiece, People’s Daily, released
‘The Chinese propaganda system has been working to create the kind of content they hope will go viral’
a rap video on “two sessions” that included vox pop-style interviews with citizens and even a few foreigners.
The latest video “is part of a trend towards hipper, younger content that has been visible for several years now”, said Florian Schneider, senior lecturer at Leiden University, who studies media and political communication in China.
“Since Xi Jinping came to power, the Chinese propaganda system has been working more closely with advertisers and PR experts to create the kind of content that they hope will go viral online,” he said.