China World
“Shameful Exhibition of Self-importance”: Chinese Netizens Condemn Socialist Core Values Graffiti on London Street
Many individuals are skeptical of the notion that those behind the Brick Lane graffiti were involved in creating meaningful street art.
On August 5th, bold red Chinese characters were spray painted on a white wall in Brick Lane, a renowned London street celebrated for its iconic graffiti art. The incident has been all the talk this week – not just in the English-language social media sphere, but also among Chinese netizens.
Originally, the Brick Lane wall was adorned by a mixed style of paintings, including black-and-white portraits Mr. Bean and Wednesday Addams, along with a piece of graffiti that served as a tribute to the late street artist Marty.
However, a group of young Chinese, including art students at London’s Royal College of Art, white-painted over the original graffiti and then inscribed 24 red Chinese characters, collectively forming the 12 “core socialist values” that align with ideals endorsed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Hello from Brick Lane!
Woke up bright and early to check out this mad graffiti in Brick Lane (Shoreditch) that has sparked quite a huge backlash from local art community and Chinese community.Note the ‘No Xi Dictatorship’ sticker stuck in between 愛國 pic.twitter.com/qxFqGFI5c7
— Kit Y (@itskityaulee) August 6, 2023
The 12 values, written in 24 Chinese characters, are the national values of “prosperity”, “democracy”, “civility” and “harmony”; the social values of “freedom”, “equality”, “justice” and the “rule of law”; and the individual values of “patriotism”, “dedication”, “integrity” and “friendship.” In mainland China, it is quite common to come across these values on walls, billboards or community posters (see image below).
“Core socialist values” displayed inside a Beijing community, photo by What’s on Weibo.
While a majority of these values harmonize with Western expectations (integrity, patriotism, civility, etc.), certain ones seem inconsistent with the typical Western understanding of China, given China’s historic reluctance to embrace Western-style political democracy. Terms like freedom, justice, equality, democracy, and rule of law, originally introduced from the West, may be perceived differently within different political contexts.
Although these slogans, endorsed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, are so common and uncontroversial in China, their debut on London street received wide criticism from different communities.
Some people called the students “CCP thugs” while others wondered if this was “art or vandalism.”
Local artists primarily expressed anger over the students painting over culturally significant graffiti artworks. The Chinese expatriate community in Britain appeared predominantly upset about the underlying message of the graffiti.
Soon after, the Chinese slogans were masked by fresh graffiti that vigorously criticized Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party, questioning the party’s commitment to the values it claims to uphold, like “equality” and “freedom.” Temporarily, the graffiti wall transformed into a anti-Beijing platform to protest against the 12 socialist core values showcased there.
The wall changed into an anti-Beijing protest wall. One slogan underneath the original socialist value graffiti says “Never forget June 4.” Via “Weareallchainedwomen” Instagram account.
As anticipated, there are also many voices from within China endorsing the Brick Lane socialist graffiti. Below a Weibo post showcasing images of the new graffiti (albeit without clear contextualization of the situation), some users assert in the comment section that artists have the freedom to express themselves. They argue that adding English translations could enhance foreigners’ appreciation of the socialist values.
Political commentator Hu Xijin wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Chinese students who covered London’s Brick Lane with socialist core values graffiti are facing death threats. These students’ original intention was probably to test the true limits on Western ‘freedom of speech.’ And here are the limits.”
Hu’s views were reiterated on social media, where some commenters suggested that there is a certain hypocrisy in the West about what is considered ‘politically correct’ and what is not, arguing that the graffiti only caused controversy due to Western anti-Chinese sentiments.
“The Price of Freedom”
Nevertheless, a substantial number of Chinese netizens have shown disapproval towards the actions of these students. Unlike communities outside of China that critique Party propaganda and related factors such as the Chinese government’s influence over students abroad, the attention within China has shifted towards condemning the behavior of these Chinese students engaging in political graffiti in the first place.
Within some Weibo comment sections, netizens call the students’ actions “unneccesary,” “provocative” and “trouble-making.” On other social media platforms, Chinese netizens have also labeled their acts as “a shameful exhibition of self-importance.”
Not long after the graffiti went viral, the creators behind it stepped forward on social media. On Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, they presented their work as a bold manifestation of a broader campaign to celebrate freedom and stimulate discussions, claiming their work was not necessarily political but both social and philosophical, invoking concepts such as logocentrism and cultural colonialism. The fact that some people felt sad about other artists’ creative works being covered was simply referred to as “the price of freedom.”
A screenshot of one of the students’ posts on Xiaohongshu. The creator’s Xiaohongshu account is now unavailable, but similar message can be found on their Instagram (source).
Not everyone bought into the idea that these Chinese students were engaged in meaningful and thought-provoking street art. Instead, many viewed them as more arrogant than artistic. Particularly, their decision to cover the tribute to Marty, the deceased street artist, was met with condemnation from netizens. Videos and articles explaining the significance of artist Marty have spread widely across social media platforms, highlighting how these students’ actions showed ignorance in painting over artwork that other graffiti artists had deliberately avoided out of respect. A video expounding on Marty’s importance amassed over 82,000 reposts on WeChat, prompting numerous comments accusing the creators of extreme disrespect.
However, certain Weibo users highlighted that a straightforward Google Street View search demonstrates that the graffiti on the Brick Lane wall undergoes frequent changes, and the wall is occasionally covered with posters as well.
Regardless, people question if the graffiti could be considered a work of art at all. For many Chinese who are used to seeing these socialist core values in China’s public spaces, the 24 characters have no artistic meaning at all – instead, they are perceived as mere tools for political propaganda. Some people voice that, in their view, ubiquitous political propaganda slogans such as these could never qualify as “art.”
By the morning of August 7th, all signs of the socialist core values had vanished from Brick Lane, obscured under a fresh coat of white paint. The Tower Hamlets Council, responsible for the London Brick Lane area, had removed the graffiti in line with its policy against “unwanted and illegal graffiti.”
As the white paint conceals the vivid red Chinese characters on the street wall in London, a wave of censorship also masks the intense debates about the students’ actions in China.
On August 10th, discussions on the topic on Weibo have dwindled, with many videos and photos suddenly becoming unavailable. Remaining discussions on the Brick Lane graffiti only display blank, censored images on Weibo.
A Weibo post about Brick Lane graffiti: the graffiti images have been censored on Weibo (screenshot via What’s on Weibo).
However, neither the fresh layer of white paint nor domestic censorship pacifies the controversy surrounding the graffiti. In the late afternoon of August 7th, the wall was again adorned with new signs, slogans, and posters related to China, drawing a gathering of tourists and local residents eager to capture photographs and igniting conversations.
Propaganda, art, an invitation to reconsider slogans in public spaces, an exploration of freedom of expression? No matter the true intention behind the socialist slogans on Brick Lane, if fostering discussions was indeed one of the objectives, the students have unquestionably succeeded.
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Featured image: Images via 红歌会网 Weibo account and via “Weareallchainedwomen” Instagram account.
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China Food & Drinks
Where to Eat and Drink in Beijing: Yellen’s Picks
From Yunnan classics to fusion cuisine, these are Janet Yellen’s picks for dining and drinking in Beijing.
Janet Yellen, the United States Secretary of the Treasury, seems to have some excellent advisors, at least when it comes to choosing spots for food and drinks in Beijing.
Yellen just concluded her second trip to Beijing within a year, and once again, it’s not her official talks but rather her choices in food and drink venues that are sparking discussion on social media.
Her initial visit to Beijing was in July 2023, during which she held meetings with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and other officials.
This time, from April 4th to 9th, Yellen’s agenda included engagements with top Chinese officials in both Guangzhou and Beijing. The primary focus was on addressing ongoing bilateral tensions and managing trade relations between the US and China. In addition to official meetings, Yellen also met up with students and business leaders.
Yellen’s selection of bars and restaurants drew interest online. Yellen is known to be a food enthusiast, and likes to visit local restaurants wherever she goes.
In Guangzhou, Yellen dined at Taotaoju (陶陶居), a renowned Cantonese restaurant where she had roast goose and shrimp dumplings.
If you’re curious about the places she visited in Beijing during her first and second trip, check out our short ‘Yellen’s Beijing’ list below.
‘In & Out’ Yunnan Restaurant
Yellen at Yizuo Yiwang, photos via Weibo.
● Name: ‘In and Out’ in English, Chinese name: Yī Zuò Yī Wàng 一坐一忘
● Specialty: Yunnan cuisine
● Notable: Yellen visited this local favorite near Beijing’s embassy area in the summer of 2023. Among other things, Yellen was served spicy potatoes with mint and stir-fried mushrooms, leading to online jokes about how the food would affect her. The mushroom dish that she had is called jiànshǒuqīng (见手青), which literally means “see hand blue”, in reference to turning blue when handled. It is the lanmaoa asiatica mushroom species that grows in China’s Yunnan region known for its hallucinogenic properties (when treated and cooked properly, they don’t cause hallucinations read more here). After Yellen’s visit, ‘In & Out’ used it as part of their marketing strategy and the restaurant released a special ‘Treasury Menu’ (or ‘God of Wealth’ Menu 财神菜单), promoting themselves as the first place where Yellen had dinner during her Beijing visit.
● Price: Dishes range from 38 yuan ($5) to 298 yuan ($41)
● Address: Chaoyang, Sanlitun Beixiaojie 1 / 朝阳区三里屯北小街1号
Grand Hyatt’s ‘Made in China’
Yellen’s lunch at the Grand Hatt, image via Weibo.
● Name: ‘Made in China’ in English, Chinese name: Cháng’ān Yī Hào 长安壹号餐厅
● Specialty: Northern Chinese cuisine, including Peking duck / Fusion
● Notable: This is the venue where Yellen had lunch with a group of female economists and entrepreneurs in July of 2023 (you can see the speech she gave during lunch here). She apparently likes this restaurant a lot, since she visited it again for dinner on April 8 of this year. For her 2023 lunch, we know that Yellen ordered steamed fish head with chopped pepper (剁椒鱼头). The famous Hunan dish was among the most expensive dishes on a special menu (850 yuan/$117) for Yellen’s visit at the time. This time around, she also had Peking Duck. The award-winning Made in China restaurant, which is simply called “Chang’an no 1” in Chinese (after its address, 长安壹号餐厅), has been around for two decades, and the Beijing head chef Jin Qiang has been there from the start – he has since welcomed numerous heads of state and government leaders from around the world.
● Price: Appetizers start from 58 yuan ($8), seafood dishes around 500 yuan (69 yuan), Peking Duck 388 yuan ($53)
● Address: Grand Hyatt, Dongcheng, 1 East Chang’An Avenue / 东长安街1号东方广场
Lao Chuan Ban
Yellen at Chuan Ban, image via Dianping.
● Name: Chuan Ban, Chinese name: 川办餐厅 aka ‘Lao Chuan Ban’ (Old Chuan Ban 老川办)
● Specialty: Sichuan food
● Notable: Chuan Ban, established as part of the Sichuan provincial government office and open to the public since 1995, is renowned for its authentic Sichuan cuisine. During her visit to Beijing, Yellen and her group dined at this famous restaurant on April 6 this year. They enjoyed a variety of dishes including Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), Sichuan-style cold noodles (四川凉面), clear noodles in chili sauce (川北凉粉), smashed cucumber salad (拍黃瓜), and Zhong dumpings in spicy sauce (钟水饺).
● Price：Dumplings for 18 yuan ($2.5), beef noodles for 16 yuan ($2.2), salt and pepper shrimp for 46 yuan ($6.3), fried lamb chops for 188 yuan ($26) – there’s something for everyone in different price ranges.
● Address: Dongcheng, 5 Gongyuan Toutiao, Jianguomennei Dajie / 东城区建国门内贡院头条5号
Jing-A Brewery
Yellen having a beer, image via Weibo.
● Name: Jing-A Brewery, Chinese name: 京A
● Specialty: Craft beer
● Notable: After five days of meetings during her 2024 China visit, Janet Yellen enjoyed a beer together with US ambassador Nicholas Burns at Jing-A, a brewery founded by wo Beijing-based American friends in 2012. In one of her tweets, Yellen explained that the microbrewery imports American hops for their beers — “a small representation of how the U.S.-China bilateral economic relationship can benefit both sides” (link).
● Price：Beers starting at 35 yuan ($4.8), snack dishes starting at 58 yuan ($8)
● Address: Jing-A Brewpub Xingfucun, Chaoyang， 57 Xingfucun Zhong Lu, Chaoyang, Beijing / 朝阳区幸福村中路57号
By Manya Koetse
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China Media
Party Slogan, Weibo Hashtag: “The Next China Will Still Be China”
The “next China” phrase has become part of Party jargon without being clearly defined, leaving it open to various interpretations.
Over the past week, the Two Sessions have dominated news topics on Chinese social media. On March 7, a hashtag promoted by Party newspaper People’s Daily became top trending: “Wang Yi Says the Next China Will Still Be China” (#王毅说下一个中国还是中国#).
The hashtag refers to statements made by China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi (王毅), also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, during a press conference held alongside the Second Session of the 14th National People’s Congress.
In his opening remarks to Chinese and foreign media, Wang emphasized that China’s role in a time of geopolitical unrest and shifting international relations will be one of peacekeeper, pillar, and progressor.
The Wang Yi quote is promoted by ChinaDaily on social media.
Wang’s comment about “next China” was a response to a question about China’s economic development, modernization, and diplomacy strategies. Wang replied that China remains a vital engine of growth. His comment that “the next China is still China” appeared to highlight China’s enduring importance on the world stage despite ongoing changes domestically. Wang mentioned the emergence of new industries, businesses, and increased international engagement as evidence of China’s ongoing evolution.
Wang also warned that “expressing pessimistic views about China will inevitably backfire, and misjudging China will result in missed opportunities” (“唱衰中国必将反噬自身，误判中国就将错失机遇”).
However, he did not elaborate on the specific meaning of his “next China” phrase, which is typical for Communist Party catchphrases and slogans that can often be interpreted in various ways across different contexts.
The “Next China Will Still Be China” Phrase
The phrase “the next China will still be China” has become more prominent in Chinese state media, from Xinhua to CCTV, since November 2023.
President Xi Jinping first introduced it during the San Francisco APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, stating that “China has already become synonymous with the best investment destination; the next ‘China’ is still China” (“中国已经成为最佳投资目的地的代名词，下一个‘中国’，还是中国”). The quote had previously come up in various investment and business communities.
The quote gained further traction when CCTV turned it into a hashtag on Weibo, emphasizing the message of “choosing China is choosing the future (“#下一个中国还是中国#, 选择中国就是选择未来”). It was also used by Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin during one of the regular press conferences.
The slogan was also the central theme of a recent speech held by academic and China expert Martin Jacques for the state media initiated TED-like ‘China Talk’ series. Jacques’ talk, simply titled “The next ‘China’ is still China,” reflects on China’s transformation over the past 75 years from poverty to a global leading economy. Jacques emphasizes China’s unique ‘civilizational roots’ and its different approach to modernization compared to the West, which consists of nation states. He asserts that despite all the major transformations China has seen and is about to see, China’s fundamental characteristics will remain unchanged, rooted in its “civilizational template,” such as the relationship between state and society, the role of the family, and more.
In this speech, promoted by state media over the past two weeks, “the next China is still China” signifies that despite China’s changing role in the world, its core essence, approach, and identity as a civilization remain unchanged. On Weibo, some commenters understand the sentence in a similar way, stressing that China will not betray its roots and turn into “the next America.”
However, in other contexts, the phrase is mostly used with a greater emphasis on the economy.
For instance, in Qiushi/Qs Theory, the Party’s theoretical magazine, the quote was called “an important conclusion,” highlighting “the profound capacity of China’s economy” and echoing the “general consensus of the international community.” The Qiushi publication by Shen Dan (沈丹) uses the exact same words as those employed by Wang Yi, indicating that “China remains the largest engine of global growth” (“中国仍是全球增长的最大引擎”).
While not explicitly stated, the sentence and its context serve to counter popular foreign media headlines suggesting that China’s remarkable economic development has ended and that “India is the next ‘China'” or that “Vietnam is the next ‘China’.” Instead, it suggests that China’s economic miracle will continue.
Various headlines in foreign media.
The phrase carries significant weight in the message it conveys both domestically and internationally. On one hand, it serves as a strategy to push back against negative foreign sentiment regarding China and pessimistic views on the economy. On the other hand, it sends a strong signal to Chinese consumers and businesses, encouraging confidence in the domestic economy and the future of China.
Part of Xi’s Catchphrase Canon
The “next China is still China” catchphrase stands as another slogan representing Party language and can be added to the long list of Xi Jinping’s ‘hot’ phrases (热词).
In January of this year, The Economist noted that the latest Communist Party phrases and slogans set the tone for economic campaigns and even define entire epochs of growth. They commented: “At a time when China’s leaders are attempting to drag the economy from the doldrums, there is even more reason than normal to pay attention to party-speak.”
The article describes how some phrases that come up in Xi’s speeches, especially those stressing China’s important role in the world and the country’s rapid economic growth, become part of Party jargon and are commonly used in local documents as political buzzwords. One well-known example is “Great changes unseen in a century” (“百年未有的大变局”), which entered the Party lexicon in 2017, when then-State Councillor Yang Jiechi described it as a guiding principle of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.
State media, both in Chinese and English, play a crucial role in propagating these types of popular phrases, incorporating them into various articles, videos, hashtags, and headlines.
But despite its current ubiquity and various ways to understand the “next China” slogan, not all netizens are confident that its meaning holds true. One top comment on Douyin said: “China’s birth rates have already fallen to some of the lowest globally, which doesn’t bode well for the future at all.”
However, others are more optimistic, believing that China will remain true to its essence and that its success cannot be copied thanks to the nature of Chinese people: “Hard-working, brave, energetic – that is what defines the Chinese people and that is what can never be replicated.”
By Manya Koetse
With contributions by Miranda Barnes
References
Shen Dan 沈丹. 2024. “The Next “China” Is Still China” [下一个“中国”，还是中国]. Qiushi, February 1 http://www.qstheory.cn/dukan/qs/2024-02/01/c_1130069314.htm [March 11, 2024].
The Economist. 2024. “A Guide to the Chinese Communist Party’s Economic Jargon.” The Economist, January 11 https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/11/a-guide-to-the-chinese-communist-partys-economic-jargon [March 11, 2024].
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