Membership with the Communist Party of China does not come easily as the ruling party requires all 88 million members to “wholeheartedly” transcribe its 15,000-character constitution to prove their loyalty.
According to the South China Morning Post, the PLA Daily, the official mouthpiece of the Chinese army, urged CPC members to put their "wholehearted effort" in copying the contents of the Party's constitution by hand.
While the goal was to instill the teachings of the CPC into the members, analysts warned that the endeavor would only be a subject of ridicule and criticism especially after news broke about a newly wed couple who allegedly spent their wedding night accomplishing the task.
PLA Daily's Warning
Considering that the task was so grueling, there is a great chance that Party members would only go through the motions in transcribing all 15,000 characters in the constitution.
Because of this, the official mouthpiece of the People's Liberation Army warned members to do it wholeheartedly, else their efforts would be for nothing.
"If the copying out is just about moving the pen and is not done wholeheartedly . . . if it fails to touch the thoughts and the soul, the well-intended campaign will lose its meaning and be reduced to a form of delicate formalism," the article stated.
Apparently, copying the constitution would remind the CPC member of his "original intention" in joining the Party.
"The purpose of transcribing is to study and to be awakened, to remind yourself of your original intention [of joining the Party] by engaging full-heartedly," the article added.
According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, CPC members are required to study the Party Constitution and rules as well as President Xi Jinping's speeches to better serve the public under the new campaign, "Two Studies and One Becoming."
What Analysts Think
While it may be a noble thought, the "Two Studies and One Becoming" campaign appears to be more of an entertainment for some and a subject of ridicule to others.
Shanghai University of Political Science and Law associate professor Chen Daoyin noted that the campaign was similar to the study of Mao Zedong's words way back during the Cultural Revolution, noting that it may not be an appropriate strategy in these modern times.
"But society is progressing, and the new generation, under an age of rapid development of the media and information, is no longer the same," Chen said. "These campaigns nowadays often end up as a target for sarcasm by society, as the propaganda apparatus is always falling behind social development."
Zhang Lifan, a political analyst in Beijing, echoed Chen's opinion, saying that the only thing the campaign would be able to generate "is either sarcasm or ridicule."
"In an information society it is impossible to control people's minds with absolute authority," he added. "This is a very stupid approach . . . and may very well end up as a joke."