"This is China" is a new English-language propaganda rap video that claims to show the world what China really is and you must watch it immediately.
View this video on YouTube
The song, co-produced by the Chinese Communist Youth League and CD REV, a young rap group from southwestern China that was founded last year on China’s National Day (coincidence!) has become a hit on Weibo since its release on Tuesday.
The melody is pretty catchy actually! But the lyrics can be, well, pretty clumsy. "Today I wanna restore the impression you have on my country which have been exactly fabricated by media for such a long time," the group raps. Okay!
The song runs through criticism of China (from pollution to medical and corruption scandals) and counters with the chorus: "This is China! We love the country, we the Chi-phenomena."
But the video is not without scandal! One Reddit user pointed out that it is ~very~ similar to a video for the song "Rap Circus" by a South Korean band called San E. Here's the video for "Rap Circus."
And the video for "This Is China."
"Rap Circus."
"This Is China."
"Rap Circus."
"This Is China."
So it seems that the band CD Rev NEVER ACTUALLY APPEARED IN THE MUSIC VIDEO.
Apparently, the video is just one of the new approaches China is testing to reach a new generation. Don't forget the song promoting its 13th five-year plan which used David Bowie's image.
View this video on YouTube
And, finally, here are the lyrics to "This Is China," courtesy of Shanghaiist.com, in case you want to.... sing along.
Regardless of all the prejudices in the past
today I wanna restore the impression you have on my country, China
which have been exactly fabricated by media for a long time
As an individual citizen based in the south west of the country
I wanna spit it then
You guys can know better about what the truth is and
how Chinese people access their own country
and how much we don't wanna be disputants
First things first, we all know that China is developing country
it has large population and it is really hard to manage
especially after world war II, almost perished
I mean what I say is true, war is always scary
It is real that the pollution is severe at the present stage
in big cities like Beijing, Tianjin
Always pollution, haze
Similar to 1950s London and LA
It's painful with higher growth rate you see
People are too busy with business
everybody wanna have a better life
Make money, get married
But they are like the first or sec generation of rich
not well-educated
But now young men like us, aspiring and friendly
[CHORUS]
This is China
We love the country, we the chi-phenomena
The red dragon ain't no evil
But a peaceful place
The beautiful land with rich culture remain
At the second verse
It's really painful to point out the problems as they are too much for us to even think about and mention
The food and drug security event
Melamine Milk had affected so many babies
And they all suffered from malnutrition
What's more there was the Vaccination issue
Illegal business operation has caused expiration and led to
The panic in domestic
What's wrong with the businessmen
and it's reasonless to do business riding on them babies
the question is there were still somebody who wanted the situation to be worse
And their name is
You know who
They will get US dollar perks
The Spy, the trader, the liar and the monkey making jerks
They are leading the public into another extreme and it worked.
Also it's shameful to talk about some politicians
because of their corruption and malversation in bidding sections
Their sexual pics and the prostitution scandals
are all as a disgrace to the country and its people
You are prolly also confused about the situation in Taiwan
as you don't know the relationship between it and mainland
Actually, for normal citizens, we just want us to be united as one
cuz we think we are from one family, the same
[CHORUS]
Although the country does have these terrible things to deal with
We've made a progress and we are trying to prevent these happening
The power of Chinese people in China are gradually proving
that we can make a better world as love, peace and harmony
Through developing mobile payments
we can now use apps to pay in nearly all the situations
even to make an appointment with the doctors
We don't have to wait in line and try so hard, cost so much to just pay to register
Meanwhile we can trust the public security
cuz the policemen are kind to the citizens but crucial to our enemies
We have tight gun control laws and we don't fear gun slaughtering
cuz only cops and soldiers are able to touch it
As for scientific achievement we have Tu Youyou who discovered astemisinin
Also there are KBBF crystal and Shenzhou series in astronomy
We are now leading the developing or poor and backward countries
In technology, economy, science and other aspects
to make a better world just like the old, old history
Yes, we do want the recovery
just for a better living and and our great great China Dream
You see
[CHORUS]