CHINA-INTERNAL: CULTURE

 A Global Times article on October 30, 2016 commented on what it described as a growing trend among Chinese students in schools in China and observed that "celebrating Western festivals like Halloween and Christmas has become a tradition in many kindergartens".


Rekindling the debate on worship of Western culture by the Chinese, the Global Times article quoted He Youlin,  Deputy to the National People's Congress and former Principal of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Middle School in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, said "There are important ways to foster patriotism but we have ignored it." He added that "The sense of national identity has declined." He Youlin was also quoted as saying: "Our festivals weigh much on customs and dining. But when livelihoods have greatly improved, people pursue spiritual needs. Western festivals can be amusing and creative, which meets young people's needs." He advised "the government to readjust and prolong the holidays for the major festivals holidays, and require various work units to create a festive atmosphere by flying national flags and holding military parades every five years".  
The article recalled that in January 2015, China's former Education Minister Yuan Guiren said that Chinese universities should maintain "political integrity" and never "let textbooks promoting Western values appear in our classes." It added that President Xi Jinping had several times warned about the ideological penetration of Western forces. In a speech made in 2013, he described ideological work as "extremely important" and later in a speech at a national Party school work conference in December last year, he criticized some Party members as advocates of  "Western capitalist ideology," and noted that there are hostile forces who attempt to subvert the Party's rule and faith in Marxism, socialism and communism. 
 






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