Zhan Jiang, a retired professor of journalism in Beijing, said he worried that Mr. Hu was “ingeniously” stoking nationalism in Chinese society. Mr. Hu has managed to stay in his position because he is nimble at anticipating changes in political winds, Mr. Zhan said.
“Sometimes, he has small criticisms of the government,” Mr. Zhan said. “But at the crucial moments, he will be there to help the officials.”
Mr. Hu’s loyalty to the party has been on display in recent weeks as Beijing has sought to undermine protests against mainland Chinese rule in Hong Kong. Mr. Hu has published dozens of editorials and social media posts about the unrest, denouncing some of the protesters as “fanatical” and a threat to Hong Kong’s future.
In the interview, Mr. Hu said that he could relate to the protesters because of his time at Tiananmen but said they were acting impulsively. He accused the West of helping to fuel instability in Hong Kong, though he acknowledged he did not have any evidence of that.
These days, Mr. Hu works through the night on editorials about the trade war, North Korea and other topics. He travels with an aide wherever he goes so that he can dictate editorials — punctuation included — as soon as an idea strikes him. He keeps a close eye on Mr. Trump’s Twitter account and on Fox News.
On a recent day, Mr. Hu published an editorial defending a Chinese diplomat who was criticized by Susan E. Rice, the American former national security adviser, for making racist comments. The editorial reprised one of Mr. Hu’s favorite themes: that the West is intent on “demonizing” China while ignoring its own “pride and prejudice.”
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/31/world/asia/hu-xijin-global-times-us-china-tensions.html?emc=rss&partner=rss
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