[Epoch Times, February 15, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Cheng Jing reported) After Gu Ailing won the Beijing Winter Olympics gold medal on behalf of China on February 8, the mainland media overwhelmingly praised her as an “almighty girl” and a “genius girl” . However, it was only a few days ago that Hu Xijin hurriedly shouted to lower his tone, warning of “risks” and emphasizing that the CCP’s propaganda “reserved a vague area”.
Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, posted on Weibo on February 13, emphasizing that public opinion on Gu Ailing’s propaganda “must be moderate” to avoid risks to “China’s national honor and credibility.”
He suggested that relevant public opinion “should be limited to the scope of sports success and the spirit of the Olympic Games, ‘reserved vagueness’, and not relying on patriotism”, and gave an example, “Speaking like ‘win glory for the country’ should be used sparingly and replaced by It is more appropriate to ‘win glory for the Chinese team’.”
Gu Ailing was born in the United States and grew up in the United States to become an athlete. However, she represented the Chinese team in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. After winning the gold medal in the women’s freestyle skiing platform on February 8, she was warmly received by mainland officials, media and folks. Even the official website of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, which is in charge of anti-corruption, published an exclusive interview with Gu Ailing.
However, Gu Ailing has repeatedly avoided answering the question of “whether he has given up his American citizenship”, and has always said “I am an American in the United States, and a Chinese in China.”
Under the pressure of the CCP, the valley must be “patriotic”
According to the BBC’s report on the 8th, Gu Ailing’s American agent Tom Yaps (Tom Yaps) refused to be interviewed by The Economist, saying: “If Gu Ailing’s criticism of the CCP is reported, it will put her there. In jeopardy, her career is ruined.”
The report pointed out that Gu Ailing and her team knew very well that they had to proceed with caution.
As an athlete born and raised in the United States, Ailing Gu faces thorny issues, and the Chinese government she represents at the Winter Olympics has been widely criticized for human rights abuses and anti-democratic repression.
Since the opening of the Winter Olympics, Gu Ailing has been caught defending the CCP’s rhetoric at least three times. For example, when the American media reported that Zhu Yi was attacked by the Internet, she said that more than 90% of the comments on Chinese social media were positive and encouraging; when the world focused on “where is Peng Shuai”, she said that she saw Peng Shuai “now healthy and happy” ”; she was spotted on Instagram defending the CCP’s cyber firewall and more.
Gu Ailing’s fuzzy nationality
Regarding Gu Ailing’s nationality, two important Olympic websites have been changed again and again, and the information about her citizenship has been simply deleted a few days ago.
The Beijing Olympic Committee changed the relevant information to, “In 2019, after she won the World Cup gold medal for the first time in Italy, she decided to represent China.” Today (14th) the reporter checked Beijing2022.com, Gu Ailing’s birthplace and residence are both California, USA, does not have her name among the Winter Olympics stars.
Recently, the IOC Olympics.com website was also found to have deleted Gu Ailing’s nationality information several times, from having “dual nationality” to “naturalization of China”, and finally did not mention nationality; in response to media inquiries, she only said that she was qualified to represent China contest.
With regard to the current Nationality Law promulgated by China in 1980, Article 5 stipulates that “if both or one of the parents are Chinese citizens and have settled in a foreign country, if the person has a foreign nationality at birth, he does not have Chinese nationality”.
But the law is rather sketchy on many details. When a foreigner voluntarily applies for Chinese nationality, the law does not specify how many days a person who voluntarily acquires Chinese nationality should renounce the original foreign nationality.
Therefore, Gu Ailing’s qualification for the Winter Olympics may not be a problem, and the issue of her nationality seems to continue to be blurred.
Gu Ailing has a high probability of returning to the United States?
Hu Xijin speculates that Gu Ailing, who has just turned 18 years old, has a high probability of living in the United States. She is not sure how she will “determine her nationality and how to show national identity in her personality”.
He emphasized that “Gu Ailing is likely to face difficult choices in the future”, and “Chinese public opinion should reserve a vague area for her propaganda to prevent her from being passive in the future.”
Weibo big V@刘吉手 once wrote a long article saying that Gu Ailing has realized three dreams that no one else can achieve. The first is the American dream, which is to develop in an all-round way, to enter a world famous school, and to win the world championship; the second is the Chinese dream , Joining Chinese nationality, being soft on endorsements, and getting into a few small goals are not a problem. Next, I may participate in variety reality shows, etc.; my third dream is to take the money I earned back to the United States without looking at other people’s faces. .
Current affairs commentator Qin Peng analyzed that the last description of this dream is very delicate to say at this time.
Qin Peng said in the “Qin Peng Live” program that in the political environment where the CCP’s policies are changing, the gymnast prince Li Ning and the sprinter Liu Xiang were praised to the sky when they succeeded, and stepped on the ground when they failed. Under the background, will Gu Ailing go all the way on the road of eating all the way? Or will it be the right time to retreat bravely and realize the third dream?
It hasn’t been a few days since Hu Xijin shouted down, showing that Gu Ailing’s “patriotism” has changed? Qin Peng said, we will wait and see.
Responsible editor: Li Qiong#