Beijing’s nationalist hawks are making their own contribution to the fight against Covid with the dispatch of a 20-person youth brigade from Beijing to Sichuan. The nationalist youth brigade will allegedly spend 10 days in team building and learning about local culture before setting up base in Ya’an, where they will help with the cleanup efforts. Such a charitable act would seem above reproach, but the group responsible for the dispatch of the group has a long history of spreading conspiracy theories around Covid. The group, known as the ZaiBali (or Z-Party), came to public attention in March 2020 when it began selling a traditional Chinese medicine formula, Shuanghuanglian, which it claimed could cure the virus. The group then pivoted to promoting the Chinese Communist Party’s signature zero-Covid policy, making claims on social media that the virus could be eradicated through strict lockdowns and mass testing. The group has also been active in spreading conspiracy theories alleging that the virus was created as part of a plot by the United States to weaken China. The group’s activities are significant because of their close ties to the Chinese government. The Z-Party has been praised by state media outlets, and its members have been invited to speak at government-organized events. The group’s founder, a man known as Sima Nan, has met with senior Chinese officials, including Politburo members. The deployment of the youth brigade to Sichuan is meant to be a show of support for the government’s zero-Covid policy, which has come under fire in recent weeks as the highly contagious Omicron variant has spread throughout the country. The policy has led to widespread lockdowns, travel disruptions, and food shortages. The government has defended the policy as necessary to protect public health, but critics argue that it is causing too much economic and social harm. The Z-Party’s youth brigade is likely intended to counter this criticism by showing that there is still popular support for the government’s approach. The group is hoping to drum up more support for the zero-Covid policy by portraying its volunteers as heroic young patriots who are willing to sacrifice their own comfort to help the country fight the virus. The group’s efforts are unlikely to have much of an impact on the course of the pandemic in China. The youth brigade is small, and it is unlikely that their cleanup efforts will make a significant difference in the fight against the virus. However, the group’s efforts are a sign of the growing influence of nationalist sentiment in China. The Z-Party is not the only nationalist group that has emerged in recent years. Other groups, such as the New Confucianists and the Buddhist Patriotic Movement, have also gained traction in recent years. These groups share a common belief that China is a unique and superior civilization that is under threat from Western influences. They argue that China needs to return to its traditional values and reject liberal democracy and other ideas from the West. The growing influence of nationalist sentiment in China is a worrying trend. Nationalist groups often promote intolerance and xenophobia, and they can be used to justify violence against those who are perceived as enemies of the state. The Z-Party’s youth brigade is a reminder that nationalist sentiment is alive and well in China, and it is important to be aware of the potential dangers of this ideology..
Chinese Nationalists Pay to Send Youth Brigade to Sichuan to Fight for Xi
