Chinese state media promote netizen's patriotic article

Chinese state media have devoted extensive coverage to an anonymously authored online article that advocates patriotism and national unity. The Wednesday edition of the People's Daily, flagship newspaper of the Communist Party of China (CPC), published a report on the dissemination of the article, which is titled "Without your country, you are nothing." It is unknown where the article was first published, but it has been reposted more than 39,352 times on Sina Weibo, China's main social media website. The reason China suffered foreign aggression in the past is that the country was weak and poor. If the country perished, individuals would also be in peril, the People's Daily quoted the article as saying. "If China is thrown into turmoil, it will be a catastrophe for all the 1.3 billion Chinese people," according to the online article, which adds that China's prosperity and development over the past several decades prove that only the CPC can unite and lead the country. Further patriotic quotes from the article include "We support President Xi Jinping," "We have confidence in President Xi," "We will stand by President Xi," and "Love our country, and always remember one's wellbeing will always comes with the wellbeing of the country and the nation." The People's Daily also published a commentary on the article. "The destiny of all of us are bound together with our country, and only when the country flourishes can individuals' freedom and happiness be guaranteed," said the commentary under the byline of Zhang He. The commentary argued that uniting and striving together for China's prosperity and safeguarding the country's dignity and social stability should be the Chinese people's common aspiration. "The hard-earned peace, security and prosperity in today's China should be well cherished," it added. However, the commentary said, there are still some problems and imperfections with China that need to be fixed, but a stable environment is needed to advance all kinds of reforms. Another commentary, in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily, said that the greatest patriotic behavior by soldiers is to improve their fighting capabilities and bring victory to the country. Facing the new challenges of China's security situation and the mission to ensure the country's peaceful development, the Chinese military should turn patriotism into concrete measures to build a strong army and always stay alert to its responsibilities, according to the PLA Daily. Tuesday's edition of the China Youth Daily also cited the online piece as saying that ordinary civilians will be the main victims of social upheaval, and that safeguarding the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity should be the common will of all citizens.