--- description: A father explains Beijing's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative with bedtime stories, and children literally sing the project's praises. title: China's New Propaganda Video Uses Foreign Kids to Push Trade image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # According to Chinese Propaganda, Children Around the World Just Love Beijing's Trade Policies by [Kevin Lui](/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 11, 2017 3:57 AM CUT by [Kevin Lui](/author/kevin-lui/) ## Kevin Lui Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 11, 2017 3:57 AM CUT Kids featured in China’s latest online propaganda video are literally singing praises and dancing about the country’s “[One Belt, One Road](http://time.com/4457044/xi-jinping-one-belt-one-road-obor-south-china-sea-economic-trade-business/ "undefined")” (OBOR) transcontinental trade and infrastructure initiative. A clip posted to YouTube by the state-run _China Daily_ Wednesday features children, supposedly from countries involved in the project, singing “out their gratitude.” Their song’s lyrics tout how the trade initiative is also a “culture exchange” that allows people to “trade in our wealth” and “connect with our hearts.” “The future’s coming now, the Belt and Road is how; we’ll share the goodness now, the Belt and Road is how,” goes the refrain. Appearing as well are ongoing installments of “Belt and Road Bedtime Stories,” in which a father-daughter pair, supposedly from the U.S. but living in Beijing, implausibly discuss the positives of OBOR and [globalization](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edzNYN4hZxo "undefined") before bedtime. The stories have a timely peg: the father is supposedly leaving on a business trip to Beijing for an [upcoming forum](http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-04/18/c%5F136217663.htm "undefined") on OBOR, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He then launches into an exhilarating tale, in nightly parts, touting Beijing’s vision of China-driven Eurasian trade and economic cooperation. First [unveiled](http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1900633/what-one-belt-one-road-strategy-all-about "undefined") by Xi in 2013, the “belt” and “road” refer respectively to the ancient Silk Road and maritime trade routes across the Eurasian continent and to Africa, which have historically connected China and Europe. “Once upon a time, several routes led from China to Central Asia and Europe,” begins the story — the father even uses toy camels and boats tracing ancient trade routes on a map. “A few years ago, China’s president Xi Jinping proposed making new routes like the old routes,” he earnestly continues, as the daughter appears to listen attentively. “This forum is a chance to tell the world about the Belt and Road, like I’m telling you.” Beijing has been spending lavishly to build a series of roads, railways, ports and pipelines in countries along the routes. It [envisions](http://time.com/4405593/south-china-sea-xi-jinping/ "undefined") a network of infrastructure that will eventually connect 65 countries across three continents, with over 4 billion people and 40% of the world’s GDP. The father also take shots at the apparent U.S. [retreat from open trade](http://time.com/4643380/donald-trump-tpp-mexico-city-trade-business/ "undefined"), naming it as a non-participant of the initiative. “Is that because it’s too far away?” the daughter asks. “Actually, any country can join, anywhere,” answers the father. Burnishing Beijing’s [newfound](http://time.com/4635963/xi-jinping-china-davos-world-economic-forum-trade-donald-trump/ "undefined") free trade [cred](http://time.com/4636205/xi-jinping-davos-globalization-speech/ "undefined"), he continues: “\[OBOR\] is China’s idea, but it belongs to the world.” In the video’s thumbnail, a storybook’s back cover helpfully reiterates the message. [Online clips](http://time.com/4438422/china-chinese-videos-propaganda-communist/ "undefined") —both geared for external and domestic consumption — has become a [popular means for China](http://time.com/3700602/chinese-communist-party-chinese-dream-propaganda-corporate-ad/ "undefined") to promote its policies and its perspective on issues, as part of its still fledgling, and often ham-fisted, [soft power](http://time.com/4147284/china-soft-power-scmp-pu-zhiqiang-human-rights/ "undefined"). Previous attempts have included [aggressively nationalistic rap](http://time.com/4388991/china-rap-propaganda-cd-rev/ "undefined") and [cute, catchy tunes](http://time.com/4088362/china-five-year-plan-music-video/ "undefined") about its five-year plan. The country has moved into more traditional mediums to get its message across as well, from [television specials](https://qz.com/877516/chinas-anti-corruption-agency-just-released-a-tv-series-about-corruption-in-the-agency/ "undefined") on Xi’s anti-graft efforts, featuring [confessions](https://qz.com/811931/coming-to-you-in-an-eight-part-tv-series-forced-confessions-by-allegedly-corrupt-chinese-officials/ "undefined") by allegedly corrupt officials, to a [_House of Cards_\-esque series](https://qz.com/945710/the-first-episode-of-chinas-new-tv-show-about-how-good-it-is-at-fighting-corruption-has-been-viewed-350-million-times/ "undefined") on day-to-day corruption busting. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4771874/china-propaganda-video-children-trade-belt-road/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4771874/china-propaganda-video-children-trade-belt-road/"},"headline":"According to Chinese Propaganda, Children Around the World Just Love Beijing's Trade Policies","datePublished":"2017-05-11T03:57:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:43:26.647Z","description":"\"The future's coming now, the Belt and Road is how\"","url":"https://time.com/4771874/china-propaganda-video-children-trade-belt-road/","keywords":["Newsfeed","China","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kevin Lui","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kevin-lui/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4771874/china-propaganda-video-children-trade-belt-road/","name":"According to Chinese Propaganda, Children Around the World Just Love Beijing's Trade Policies"}}]}] ```