Revolutionary narratives related to the founding history have
often served as a crucial source of legitimacy for China and many other
authoritarian regimes. However, these narratives frequently conflict with the
current regime’s need to maintain social stability and discourage any new
social movements that challenge its authority. Can the Chinese regime
effectively address this dilemma when utilizing its revolutionary narratives?
In this innovative experimental study, we focus on an iconic revolutionary narrative
presented in an artistic format in China: the "Internationale."
Our findings indicate that the Chinese government has successfully transformed
the revolutionary song of "Internationale" into a nationalist and
patriotic propaganda piece, devoid of references to revolution and communism.
Individuals exposed to the Internationale demonstrated increased support
for the regime and greater trust in its authority, while showing no significant
change in their support for social change, efforts to combat inequality, or
promotion of communist ideology. These findings elucidate how the Chinese
government can continue to employ revolutionary narratives as propaganda, even
when such narratives are no longer aligned with the modern Chinese
socioeconomic structure.