Lexicon | China Policy

historical nihilism: an ‘opium’ for the mind

The term is used to label malignant ideas and people who

distort the ‘four histories’ of the Party, New China (i.e. since 1949), ‘reform and opening’ and socialism
defame past Party leadership, guiding thought or main policy direction
slander heroes and martyrs
deprecate or devalue traditional Chinese, revolutionary or advanced socialist culture

It is blamed for the collapse of the Soviet Union, starting with Khrushchev’s denunciation of Stalin. ‘Document No. 9’, a 2013 Party directive, called for combatting seven ‘perils’ in the ideological struggle: constitutional democracy, universal values, civil society, neoliberalism, free press, historical nihilism and questioning Chinese-style socialism. A Party history education campaign launched 20 Feb 2021 ahead of the Party centenary planned for July targeted historical nihilism with renewed intensity.

historical nihilism 历史虚无主义 lìshǐ xūwúzhǔyì

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