How has President Xi Jinping reshaped China’s political discussion over the past five years? The People’s Daily provides one window. Xi’s name, slogans and policies have come to dominate the pages of the Communist Party’s self-described mouthpiece since he took power in late 2012, according to an analysis by Qian Gang, director of the University of Hong Kong’s China Media Project. That is a pointer to the president’s clout as he approaches a leadership reshuffle later this year, and provides clues about the country’s future direction. Xi’s ubiquity in the People’s Daily has eclipsed his own predecessors, who also advanced their agendas through China’s state-controlled media. Each year, mentions of his name in the paper have exceeded those of former President Hu Jintao at the same point of his final term.
