Red bud revival: why Xi is resurrecting a Mao-era propaganda tool
Since taking power in 2012, Xi Jinping has been working to restore the Chinese Communist Party’s grassroots influence and to grow its presence in everyday life. In Inner Mongolia, he has revived a Mao-era propaganda tool: Ulan Muqir troupes. Founded in 1957, their name means “Red Bud” in Mongolian, and early teams would carry news and party ideology across the region, through song and dance.
David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, and Alice Su, our senior China correspondent, examine the recent revival of these troupes and ask: why is Xi Jinping reintroducing Mao-era propaganda methods in Inner Mongolia—and are they effective?
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