‘Replace Jesus images with Chinese President’, a campaign undertaken by Chinese Communist Party

Beijing: If you want to ‘escape poverty’ then replace Jesus images in your homes with those of Chinese president Xi Jinping, urged ruling Chinese Communist party. Communist party has implemented a campaign to this effect in Jiangxi province of China wherein resides a large Christian community. Coming on the heels of this campaign, more than 600 people have reportedly put up portraits of Jinping in their homes. Similar practice was implemented in the era of the Father of Chinese Communist revolutionary, ‘Mao Zedong’.

China, Xi Jinping, jesus ‘Xi Jinping’ who took over the responsibility as Chinese President and the Leader of ruling Communist party five years ago, has taken aggressive steps to tighten his grip on the country, of which declaring himself as the ‘Core Leader’ as well as his anti-corruption drive to eradicate his rivals are considered his remarkable moves.

In the Communist party summit held last month, Xi Jinping was elevated to the same status as the Founder of Communist party, ‘Mao Tse Tung’ and the incorporation of his ideology called ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ in the party’s constitution was announced.

On this background, it seems that the new campaign of Communist party is trying to imprint the image of Xi like that of party’s founder ‘Mao’ in the minds of Chinese. The poverty rate in the Yugan County of Jiangxi province in East China is still high. Among 1 million of its population, 11 per cent population lie below country’s official poverty line whereas around one hundred thousand people in this region belong to Christianity.

Though as per the constitution of ruling Communist party, China has no authorized religion, Christianity had spread widely after the end of ‘Cultural Revolution’ in China around the year 1980. According to various surveys, more than 90 million people are reported to be Christians till today. This figure outnumbers the total members of the Communist party and is said to be a threat to it.

It is on this background that President Xi Jinping has set forth the goal to eliminate poverty from the country by the year 2020. Communist party has been using this goal to increase the number of members of Communist party and its supporters. Thus, the campaign to replace Jesus images with that of President Xi Jinping has been initiated.

According to media sources, this campaign has been running across from the month of March and reportedly 600 civilians in ‘Huangjinbu’ region have put up President Jinping’s portrait in their homes. As a result, promotion of the work done by President Jinping and Communist party for the masses is also being stressed upon.