Economics
Xi Jinping Is No Fun
China’s Xi Jinping revives self-criticism sessions: Rolex watches and pricey Moutai are out
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At the end of September, Chinese officials gathered in Shijiazhuang, in Hebei province, to discuss their shortcomings in Maoist-style self-criticism sessions. Under the watchful eye of President Xi Jinping, senior Communist Party members admitted to sins ranging from excessive ambition to detachment from the people.
“Formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance,” are “undesirable work styles,” that are “harmful, stubborn in nature, and prone to relapse,” Xi warned the Hebei party secretary and other assembled provincial cadres, reported the Xinhua News Agency on Sept. 25. “Party members and officials should be taught to look in the mirror, straighten their attire, take a bath, and seek remedies,” Xi said.