China is wolf in sheep's clothing

Xi's 'lovable' China is wolf in sheep's clothing

Last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his fellow Communist Party leaders that the country needs to become "humble," "credible," "lovable" and "respectable," to steer the international narrative in favor of Beijing.   Hiring and fostering English-speaking journalists looks to be one solution, as China laments that news about China is dominated by media outlets from English-speaking democratic countries.   But while there is active discussion on changing the PR strategy, there is little talk about changing the product on offer. Xi and the Communist leadership recently invited a controversial scholar to speak as a guest lecturer at their study session.   His theory? That China's governance model is superior to those of Western countries. Professor Zhang Weiwei has repeatedly preached that the success of China's development can be attributed to the one-party rule under which competent leaders are chosen based on merit, comparing it to the ineffectiveness of party politics and elections seen in the West.