CCTV 1.19 SO WHERE IS HE?

Another Xi-free day on TV! -No personality cult, not even re-runs! -Xi under the weather? -Upbeat news about economy -Yemen tops foreign news again -US in deep freeze

Of course a day without Xi at CCTV is like a day without sunshine, so his name is the first named uttered, the first three syllable of the news proper are: XI…JIN…PING, followed by his voluminous stack of official titles, followed by some ghostwritten copy about his instructions on this or that. This week one of Big Xi’s bigger news cameos was a graphic about him sending written congratulations to the Congo.

But wait! The first big visual of the day is a big meeting. Maybe we’ll see him after all.

Surely the man sitting at the helm demanding the attention of the communist party grandees is the helmsman and navigator of New China in the New Era?

Nope. It’s his sidekick and unofficial bodyguard, Cai Qi.

Cai is number five in titular rank but his daily proximity to Xi is unique. (bonus challenge—try to find a Xi appearance where Cai Qi is not hovering steadfast in the background like a loyal shadow)

Cai Qi may well be the second most influential man in China. He’s always there, even when Xi isn’t.

The way Xinhua describes it, you’d think Xi was in attendance, but it’s just a ruse.

Xi was AWOL.

“Xi Jinping has urged high-level sci-tech self-reliance to serve high-quality development in instructions delivered during the ceremony of the National Engineer Awards. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, congratulated all those who won the National Engineer Awards on Friday. While giving his speech at the event, Cai Qi said that the development of engineering science and technology in China had always adhered to the overall leadership of the Party, the benefit of the people, the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide, the role of talent as the first resource, self-reliance and independent innovation, as well as opening up and cooperation.”

In other Xi non-news, Xi’s ghostwriter Wang Huning gives a meeting carrying out the will of his boss in language he has probably helped craft personally.

And now it’s over to you, Central Party School, where the engraved stone out front speaks truth to a different era, the Deng Xiaoping Era, when the party gave lip service to “seek truth from facts”

Another great meeting hall, another important meeting.

Perhaps Xi, party head who used to work at the party school is the keynote speaker?

Nope, it’s the sidekick again.

And Cai Qi, it might be added, is not only Xi factotum number one, but he has a way with words and a distinct avuncular charm, as can be seen reflected on the faces of his rapt listeners.

Where’s Xi?

In other non-Xi news where Xi gets mentioned anyway, let’s uphold the spirit of “Finance with Chinese characteristics” since the economy is so efulgent!

“Chinese finance has scored some major achievements “

“We are beneficiaries of Xi Jinping’s leadership.”

“Let us remember to uphold the ‘two maintenances’”

“This is an aspect of the New Era (Xi era) in which we live…”

“Chinese finance is high quality finance..”

“We endeavor to realize the party center’s demands in all respects”

“Our financial resources must be allocated according to efficiency and ability.”

The picture spread below says it all. No need for statistics on how the economy is booming when you have file photos like this to draw upon. China’s good.

The only up-to-date picture of Xi in this week’s news suggests he’s not in top form.

Then again, he was mourning the loss of comrade Zhang Kehui, who was responsible for maintaining the fiction that the true representatives of Taiwan reside in Beijing, so maybe it was just a gloomy occasion.

And now for the foreign news. Yemen is the top story again.

And CCTV, with uncharacteristic modesty, let’s the Pentagon do the talking.

CCTV attempts to balance the US-sourced news with some pictures of Yemen. It also runs some old footage provided by the Houthi hijackers in this infamous ship attack.

Gaza is next in the news. Sticking to the usual formula, CCTV airs IDF footage followed by Hamas footage.

IDF continues its push in south Gaza.

Footage provided courtesy of Hamas

Russia’s special military operation doesn’t get the special coverage it got previously, but the slant is still pro-Russia, followed by shots from Ukraine and NATO.

Extreme weather continues to punish the US, and that’s it for today! Zai jian!