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The Times podcast: The Chinese Communist Party and me, Part 2

Xi Jinping volumes
Biographies of Xi Jinping and volumes of Xi thought outnumber Mao Zedong books 4 to 1 at a giftshop in Yan’an, China.
(Alice Su / Los Angeles Times)
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On July 1st, the Chinese Communist Party kicked off its 100th anniversary by celebrating China’s economic success and ambitions to create a new world order. The festivities, of course, are carefully choreographed. For decades, the Communist Party has crushed any counter-narratives to promote a whitewashed version of Chinese history. Those who deviate from the party’s official narrative suffer retribution — and in recent days, records of that punishment have been expunged as well.

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Today, we focus on a newly revised volume of Communist Party history that aims to airbrush its past for a younger generation who have come of age in a tightly controlled social environment. And we highlight the young activists who are trying to bring attention to this whitewashing — and are getting jailed or exiled for doing so. Our guest is L.A. Times Beijing bureau chief Alice Su.

Host: Gustavo Arellano

Guest: Los Angeles Times Beijing bureau chief Alice Su

More reading:

As Communist Party turns 100, China’s Xi rallies his compatriots and warns his critics

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He tried to commemorate erased history. China detained him, then erased that too

China offers a minority a lifeline out of poverty — but what happens to its culture?

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About The Times

“The Times” is made by columnist Gustavo Arellano, producer Shannon Lin, senior producers Steven Cuevas and Denise Guerra, executive producer Abbie Fentress Swanson and editor Julia Turner. Our engineer is Mario Diaz. Our intern is Ashlea Brown. Our theme song was composed by Andrew Eapen.
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