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DE RUEHBJ #3482/01 3630527
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R 290527Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BEIJING
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7448
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 003482 
 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI CH TW
 
SUBJECT: POPULAR PRC FILM REDRAWS TAIWAN PROPAGANDA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The blockbuster film "The Founding of a 
Republic," released in China to commemorate the 60th anniversary of 
the People's Republic of China, marks a noteworthy shift in Chinese 
propaganda on Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang .  While the 
storyline of the movie is consistent with official PRC historical 
accounts of the civil war, glorifying Mao Zedong's leadership and 
the Communist Party's (CCP) defeat of the Japanese and unification 
of the country, the movie features an unprecedentedly positive 
depiction of Chiang Kai-shek, characterizing him as well-intentioned 
but misled by others.  It also emphasizes Mao's consultation with 
other political parties through the Chinese People's Political 
Consultative Committee (CPPCC) before making key decisions.  The 
film appears to be an effort to recast the image of the CCP as a 
party with a long history of openness to consultation with other 
political parties and, by extension, perhaps one that could 
accommodate Taiwan's political parties.  While reviewers and 
bloggers have not commented on the shift in depiction, the film's 
attendance records guarantees a broad audience for the new view of 
the KMT. End Summary 
 
Sympathy for Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Released with much public fanfare as part of the October 1 
commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC, 
"The Founding of a Republic," is a docudrama providing the PRC's 
version of the Chinese civil war from 1945-49, which included 
appearances by 176 Chinese mainland and Hong Kong celebrities and 
set new mainland box office records.  Mao Zedong and Chiang Kai-shek 
are the lead characters in the film and the contrast of their 
personalities is a major focus of the film.  Chiang is depicted as 
authoritative, well dressed, wealthy and in frequent disagreement 
with other top leaders of the Kuomintang Party (KMT).  Mao is 
portrayed as "democratic," living and dressing simply and held in 
high esteem by other leaders of the Communist Party.  Despite these 
characterizations, the film includes an almost sympathetic tone 
toward Chiang, portraying him as well-intentioned and patriotic, but 
misled and deceived by others with suspect motives.  This is a 
marked contrast to decades-old conventions on the depiction of 
Chiang in the PRC film and television.  In the past, PRC films have 
generally characterized Chiang as a heartless villain. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The film's portrayal of historic incidents involving the 
KMT is also much more positive than in past PRC productions.  It 
touches only briefly on scenes of KMT crackdowns on dissidents and 
the bombing of CCP safe havens, and the depictions are far less 
violent than those normally seen in PRC films.  Most striking is a 
final scene in the movie, just prior to Chiang's retreat to Taiwan, 
in which he tells his son that he does not want to be the person 
blamed by history as splitting the country and orders his 
subordinate to abort a final offensive against the CCP. 
 
Let's Forget the Past 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Interwoven throughout the film is another important element 
that is far more prominent than in other PRC versions of this period 
of history.  Time and again during the film's storyline, Mao Zedong 
is depicted as refusing to make key decisions without first 
consulting eminent figures from outside the CCP and urging them to 
join the first Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference 
(CPPCC,) the non-CCP political advisory body.  In a particularly 
noteworthy scene, just as the civil war nears its end, Mao is 
depicted as extending a personal invitation to KMT Central 
Supervisory Committee member Li Jishen to join the CPPCC.  When Li 
mentions to Mao that he himself is responsible for the death of many 
communist cadres, Mao replies "let's forget the past and start a new 
future." 
 
Recasting History with Taiwan in Mind 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) "The Founding of a Republic" encapsulates two significant 
and unprecedented themes which appear to be directed at both 
Mainland and Taiwan audiences.  The first conceit is that Chiang and 
the KMT were, at heart, patriotic and supportive of China's national 
unity.  Second, the film maintains that the CCP is and always has 
been open to participation by other political parties, including the 
KMT, in government.  The significance of the film's depiction of the 
CPPCC as playing a major role in helping shape Mao's views and CCP 
policies is likely a message to Taiwan viewers.  The PRC often 
emphasizes the nominally inclusive role of the CPPCC in reaching out 
to political leaders in Taiwan and Hong Kong and playing a prominent 
role in bridging cross-Strait differences.  Taiwan businesspersons 
doing business in China are often invited to participate as official 
or unofficial members in the local level CPPCC bodies.  The film 
codifies this theme by recasting the history of the CCP as a party 
with a long tradition of relying on the CPPCC to play a significant 
 
BEIJING 00003482  002 OF 002 
 
 
role in formulating policy. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Chinese reviewers and bloggers have not commented on the 
new depiction of Chiang, focusing their attention instead a debate 
over the large number of Chinese actors who have naturalized as 
citizens of other countries among the cast and the appropriateness 
of casting such "foreign actors" in a "patriotic film." 
Nonetheless, the film has set box office records in China, 
guaranteeing a huge audience receives this revised version of 
Chinese history.