Jan. 26, 2021 - Epoch Times
05:44
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| Luo Sifen is a famous noodle soup dish flavored with river snails that originates in China's Luo Zhuo city, Guangxi province. | |
| In recent years it gained international popularity through Chinese restaurants and instant noodles sold in immigrant communities around the world. | |
| A series of leaked government documents obtained by the Epoch Times reveal that the Chinese regime used the dish to advance its agenda by making sure Chinese immigrants in the United States and Canada toe the line in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, the massive infrastructure project that seeks to connect Asia with Africa and Europe. | |
| Chinese netizens also noticed the newly gained popularity of the soup and called it one of the four new cultures exported from China. | |
| Few netizens could have imagined that this native product would be listed as a major achievement in foreign affairs operations by Luo Zhou foreign affairs officials. | |
| According to a 2020 document obtained by the Epoch Times from the Foreign Affairs Office of Luozho City, Guangxi Province, the export of snail instant noodles during the first half of 2020 were valued at $1.15 million, which was an eightfold increase over its total export value of 2019. | |
| A 2018 internal government report stated, we must broadly unite overseas Chinese by promoting Liu Zhou's famous Lu Shi Fen and use it as an excellent business card to reach out to the United States and Canada to strengthen the bond with overseas Chinese both old and new and Chinese associations in those countries to fully utilize their natural advantages in promoting and implementing the BRI. The first snail noodle store in the United States | |
| was opened in New York City. | |
| The internal document suggested that the noodle dish should be presented as a bellwether for other brand names to follow, and that the promotion should be extended to Boston, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta to further unify overseas Chinese. | |
| Chinese authorities appear to be very proud of their new idea. | |
| They bragged in a government report, the promotion of Luo Sifen will also lessen the overseas Chinese people's homesickness for here by sending them love from both the motherland and Luo Zhuo, which will enable our overseas united front work to be more diverse and rich in content. | |
| Moreover, this special dish was even positioned as an emerging strategic industry. | |
| Another leaked document showed that local officials were sent on special trips to promote the dish to foreign governments and associations. | |
| For instance, a team of Chinese officials visited the United States and Canada in May and June 2018. | |
| The group consisted of six people and was headed by Xianjun, the then head of Liu Zhu's United Front Work Department. | |
| Based on their itinerary, the delegation spent eight days in both countries and promoted the noodle dish to trade associations in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver, as well as the overseas Chinese associations in these cities. | |
| The China regime even took notice of a side dish, like the snail noodle, and included it in China's unified front work. | |
| That tells us the CCP truly attaches great importance to its unified front work. | |
| Xing Tianxing, a current affairs commentator living in the United States, pointed out that these internal documents helped to explain why the snail noodle suddenly gained popularity in the United States. | |
| Actually, when I went to a Chinese supermarket today, a salesperson tried her best to promote the snail noodle to me. | |
| She told me it has become a big sensation in the US market. | |
| The main feature of this noodle is that it's hot and spicy, but Sichuan dishes best represent hot and spicy food. | |
| It's therefore kind of strange that a native food from Guangxi province would suddenly become so popular. | |
| These internal documents revealed that it is because the Chinese regime has been working hard to promote it, including spending money on advertisements and publicity. | |
| According to Xing, using trade and certain commodities is actually a common method used by the CCP's Unified Front Work Department. | |
| However, as these methods are barely noticeable, governments in other countries usually fail to detect these types of hidden campaigns. | |
| Many years ago, when the CCP needed to break ice, it invented ping pong diplomacy. | |
| That was a well-known invention, right? | |
| Ping pong is a popular sport, and other countries would not make any negative comments on it. | |
| At that time, no one would claim that ping pong is associated with the CCP's secret political agenda and criticize that ping pong diplomacy has a mission to fulfill. | |
| Xing said that in addition to snail noodles, there are many other icons the CCP can make use of. | |
| For example, the CCP even tries to lever influence via Chinese internet star Li Zheqi, whose pastoral lifestyle videos Have attracted millions of followers on YouTube. | |
| It can be hard for people in other countries to recognize how the CCP influences their country's ideologies with its promotional campaigns of these famous products and famous stars. | |
| Therefore, if the West continues to adopt a welcome policy towards the Chinese authoritarian regime, Many people will inadvertently be affected by the CCP's campaign of influence. |
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