CCTV FOLLIES: 10.17 A splendid tedium

The extended evening news includes 57 minutes of exultation about Xi and 3 minutes of world events. The latter includes shots of Russia hitting Ukraine but blaming the US for everything.

CCTV anchors increasingly speak in clipped, strident tones and effuse forced cheer, not unlike North Korean broadcasts. For participants and viewers alike, this days-long fest at the Great Hall of the People is one hundred hours of ritual humiliation.

The man of the hour enters the room to tell delegates from Guangxi that communist party policies have been “completely correct” since he took power in 2012.