China is implementing new school textbooks that place a strong emphasis on national security and traditional culture, marking a significant step in Beijing’s ongoing efforts to enhance ideological propaganda and control. According to reports, starting next week, primary and junior high school students will receive updated textbooks in subjects such as Chinese language, history, and morality and law. This curriculum update comes as part of a broader ideological push by the Chinese government.
The revised textbooks will prominently feature President Xi Jinping’s political philosophy, known as Xi Jinping Thought, along with a strong focus on traditional Chinese culture and national security. The compulsory morality and law subject, previously known as ideology and politics, will now incorporate the “main content and historical status” of Xi Jinping Thought, which was enshrined in China’s constitution in 2018. This thought has since been extended to cover various aspects of China’s political, economic, diplomatic, and social life.
The new history textbooks will introduce significant events such as the 1962 border war with India and the 1979 conflict with Vietnam, where Chinese troops intervened to support the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. These events, previously less emphasized in the curriculum, are now being presented as key moments in China’s history and are intended to solidify a sense of national pride and unity. The curriculum will also promote Xi’s concept of a unified Chinese nation, introduced in 2014 to foster ethnic integration.
Beyond history, the updated Chinese language textbooks will feature ancient literature, stories of revolutionary heroes, and technological advancements such as the Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) and the deep-sea submersible Jiaolong. These additions aim to showcase China’s cultural heritage and technological progress, fostering national pride and highlighting the country’s global influence.
The new textbooks, developed over two years, have already undergone testing in over 550 schools with more than 100,000 students before their nationwide rollout. This indicates a deliberate and well-planned approach to implementing the new curriculum, signifying its importance in the Chinese government’s broader educational and ideological agenda.
