Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua (@China Xinhua News) on Tuesday posted a chirpy English-language theme song over the coming and widely-expected 13th Five Year Plan. The economic and social development plan will set out a main direction in China's key industries during the next five years.
The three-and-a-half-minute music video, with hundreds of animated cartoon characters, a "psychedelic" melody, and rhyming lyrics, describes the outline and importance of the plan. According to world media, it shows that Chinese authorities is seeking new ways to improve its image and it also represents the increasing soft power of China.
The Wall Street Journal said the new five-year plan has its own theme song and music video, and it is a successful and creative attempt for China to promote its image.
"China will soon announce its next five-year economic plan, which will lay out the direction for the countrys development," it said. "In case you werent bopping in your seat over Chinas economic planning, the countrys propaganda mouthpiece can help with that."
The South China Morning Post also focused on the new way that Chinese media used on social media.But it also expected that the Chinese government could take measures in such fields of economic development and social reforms.
Chinas propaganda machine is trying a new tack this week to publicise its economic and social plans by using an animated hipster pop music videocomplete with a guitar-strummed song performed in American accents by four cartoon characters as they stand on top of a retro Volkswagen vanit reported.
"The13th Five-year plan provides a blueprint that sets out guidelines in key areas including tackling slowing economic growth, social reforms and the environment."
The Guardian focused on the increase of the Chinese authorities' attempts to capture the hearts and attract attentions of foreign audiences.
"Chinas economic planning has become the latest beneficiary of a makeover from the countrys propaganda machine, with a chirpy theme song and psychedelic music video," it said.
Released in English with Chinese subtitles, the songs rhyming lyrics showcase an uncharacteristically tongue-in-cheek humour. Among the contributors to the five-year plan, it said: Theres doctors, bankers and farmers, too, and even engineers who deal with poo!
