Xi's crackdowns aimed at whipping China's 'lying flat' youth into shape

BEIJING • Piecing together President Xi Jinping's recent speeches and a barrage of new regulations that have roiled markets, one Internet user this month created a satirical image of what passes for an ideal youth in today's China.

"The socialist successor of the new era does not attend after-school tutoring, does not play video games, does not chase celebrities," said the post, which was shared widely before it was censored.

"They finish all their homework at school, read President Xi's selected works for one hour every day, go to sleep before 10pm, take the initiative to do chores, urge their parents to have more children and help look after them."

The description highlights how Mr Xi's push for "common prosperity" and wealth redistribution is about more than just reining in tech billionaires: The flurry of rules and state-media missives targeting industries from after-school tutoring to online gaming and entertainment are also aimed at ensuring the younger generation - some of whom are starting to embrace a minimalist lifestyle known as "lying flat" - turns into motivated, patriotic and productive workers.

Encouraging students to seek jobs outside of white-collar and high-tech roles would alleviate some of the pressure on graduates to find work. But it would also help achieve another goal: Upgrade the manufacturing base to achieve core technological breakthroughs that will allow China to end dependence on the US and other nations for advanced chips that will drive future economic growth.

Overwhelming pressure to study and work non-stop is prompting some youth to join the "lying flat" movement, essentially opting out of the rat race and adopting instead a simple lifestyle with attainable goals.

A CCTV report in April said younger migrant workers would prefer the relative freedom of lower-paying jobs in delivery than factory jobs where workers must stand at an assembly line for at least eight hours a day.

Several attempts to merge universities with what are seen as less prestigious vocational schools in various provinces over the summer have been met with student protests, forcing educational authorities to shelve the plans.

In his March speech at a Fuzhou school, Mr Xi said administrators should prioritise "moral education" and that teachers should instruct students on how to become good people.

That same month, he told national legislators that a lot of "obscene and filthy stuff" on the Internet besides online games was having a bad influence on minors, and urged them to tackle the problem.

That may explain recent moves to rein in gaming firms, blacklist sensitive songs at karaoke venues and vilify "idol culture" in the entertainment industry.

Also, the number of babies born in China this year may fall to the lowest since at least 1950, according to Jefferies Financial.

An analysis of local government data showed that China's newborns may have fallen by 17 per cent in some regions in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year, researchers wrote in a note. Extending that drop to the whole country means "there is a risk that newborns might fall below 10 million in 2021", they said.

Families are delaying pregnancy plans due to concerns over the safety of the Covid-19 vaccines and access to medical support during the pandemic and this is weighing on the number of new babies, the Jefferies analysts wrote.

The demographic risk means there is greater urgency to remove any barriers seen as adding to the living costs of a family, they said.

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