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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
03-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Will a calmer approach to US-China relations work out for Beijing?
Advertisement Beyond this brief moment in the spotlight, however, Xie has kept a lower profile during Trump's second term, in stark contrast to his predecessors Cui Tiankai and Qin Gang, who actively engaged American audiences to counter negative perceptions of China. At events such as the 2024 Harvard Kennedy School China Conference, despite facing pro-Tibetan protests, he maintained a composed demeanour, emphasising modernisation and cooperation rather than confronting his critics directly, a sharp contrast to Qin's more combative approach. Xie's style aligns more closely with Cui, China's longest-serving ambassador to the US, who was known for his measured, professional approach. Cui, who served as ambassador between 2013 and 2021, adeptly navigated turbulence during the Barack Obama era and Trump's first term, actively engaging US officials and lawmakers, media and think tanks, while forging personal ties with the Trump family. Advertisement Highly regarded in both Beijing and Washington, Cui was viewed as a skilled communicator and an interlocutor who understood American politics.
