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South China Morning Post
08-08-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
People's Daily spells out PLA's mid-century goal, with the US as a benchmark
The People's Liberation Army must measure itself against the world's strongest military, a clear reference to the US, in its drive to beat the global competition, according to an official policy commentary detailing the PLA's goals by 2049. Advertisement The article published on Thursday in Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily is one of the clearest explanations of Chinese President Xi Jinping's goal of 'building a world-class military by the middle of this century'. It said 'world-class' was defined by global top-tier indicators and China aimed to dominate the central stage of military competition and stay at the forefront of developments. 02:57 Shandong aircraft carrier moves into Taiwan response zone ahead of PLA drills Shandong aircraft carrier moves into Taiwan response zone ahead of PLA drills '[A world-class military] must match China's status as a global power, ensure comprehensive and effective protection of national security and have a strong international influence,' the article said. It said China must aim for the world's highest standards, 'not only in the areas of weapons and equipment, organisational structure and combat systems, but also in military theory, talent development and training qualities'. The Chinese military needed to see foreign peers as a benchmark – 'especially the most powerful military', a reference to American forces – to 'stand on equal footing with global powers and prevail in international competition', it added. Advertisement The article comes less than a month before the PLA will showcase its latest progress at a Victory Day military parade on September 3 marking the 80th anniversary of China's defeat of the Japanese invasion and the global triumph over fascism.
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
‘Comrade' is no longer in fashion in China, but some people still want to bring it back
A recent opinion piece in the People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the Communist Party, argued that China should bring back the term 'comrade' (tongzhi) as the common form of address among Chinese people. It is an interesting proposal, as the term's political and cultural implications are largely out of touch with Chinese society. Advertisement While comrade is a formal form of address inside the Communist Party, its use is limited to official settings. It is used as a suffix to full names in documents, such as letters of appointment and eulogies. In notices related to investigations, use of the term could be seen as an indication of the seriousness of the allegations. For instance, China's former foreign minister Qin Gang was addressed as a comrade in the last official document mentioning him, implying that Qin had retained his party membership. In day-to-day conversations, comrade is still used to address a young clerk in a government office, or a policeman on the street, but it sounds old-fashioned and is usually not the best choice. Comrade used without a full name is the equivalent of a bland 'hello' to someone who doesn't look important in the government. It would be safer to call a government official 'leader' (lingdao) if they carry certain authority, but it becomes easier if their name and title are known. The standard would then be the family name plus title. 'Director Wang' would be much more acceptable than 'comrade Wang'. Chinese President Xi Jinping extends Spring Festival greetings to residents in north China's Tianjin municipality, February 1, 2024. Photo: Xinhua Outside the government, comrade is sometimes used to refer to a homosexual male – 'he is a tongzhi' means 'he is gay'. The original meaning of comrade, which means 'people share the same will', as well as its implied values of equality and solidarity, has lost its relevance amid the wealth gap and social divides. How could an employer address a soon-to-be-sacked employee as a comrade, and wouldn't it be ridiculous to call Chinese tycoons comrades when their net personal wealth was in the billions of dollars? Advertisement
South China Morning Post
20-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China warns of blind box ‘addiction' among country's youth
The official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party has cautioned against an 'addiction' to blind card packs and blind boxes among the country's youths as the summer holiday approaches. People's Daily called for strict identity verification to curb the 'out-of-control consumption' of blind boxes – opaque packages containing randomly chosen toys, models or cards – by minors in a report published on Friday The items, with their allure of 'unknown surprises,' have become highly sought-after by young consumers, but hide 'commercial traps' that induce impulsive spending, the article said. As the 'guzi economy' or 'goods economy' – merchandise related to anime, games, idols and other copyrighted works – takes hold among China's younger generation, the newspaper's warning echoes regulations enacted four years ago to prevent online gaming addiction among teenagers. Because the exact product within a given blind box or card pack is not known until it is bought and opened, their purchase carries an element of gambling. This is augmented by the varied designs and rarity levels used by merchants to attract consumers, fuelling their desire to collect entire sets. In recent years, blind card packs have gained popularity among children and teenagers for their similarly unpredictable rewards, People's Daily said. 'Irrational consumption is common among children and teenagers, with some spending hundreds or even thousands of yuan in a single transaction to chase rare cards,' the authors concluded after interviewing multiple teenagers.
