'Zhen', China's character of year, gets side-eye from netizens

Beijing [China], December 31 : China recently declared 'zhen' as the official Chinese character of the year, defined as "self-inspire." However, the online response has been less than positive, with netizens expressing scepticism, the Voice of America (VOA) reported.
China conducts an annual survey to select characters and words reflecting the public's sentiments or significant developments of the outgoing year. While the government officially approves the final list, not everyone on China's highly censored internet shares enthusiasm for the chosen characters.
On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, one user criticised the selection as "fake and empty." Another Weibo blogger humorously nominated "Hao" meaning "so" as their character of the year, listing phrases like "so cold," "so poor," and "so sleepy" as their words of the year, as reported by VOA.
Chinese state media, in its December 20 announcement, linked the choice of "zhen" to the success of China's Belt and Road Initiative, the public's love of sports and low-cost tourism, and China's resilience.
An article from Chinese state media stated, "The road ahead will be full of dangers and bumps. Whether it is a country or an individual, if you remain true to your heart when faced with challenges, persevere in the face of wind and rain, and gain every inch of joy, you will be worthy of the character 'Zhen.'"
The official list of characters for this year also includes the international Chinese character of the year, "Wei," meaning "danger." "High-quality development" and "ChatGPT" were selected as the domestic and international words of the year.
State media explained that the "danger" pick reflects global events like the Israel-Hamas war and Japan's discharge of nuclear wastewater. The advancement of artificial intelligence technology, represented by ChatGPT, adds an element of uncertainty to the future.
Chinese netizens, however, criticised the annual exercise as self-deceptive.
A user on Zhihu, akin to China's Quora, highlighted that 2023 marks the first year after China's stringent pandemic measures. The observer noted exacerbating issues like real estate market instability, declining birth rates, and heightened youth unemployment.
"It can only be said that 'Zhen' expresses the Chinese people's hopes for the coming year, but it may not truly reflect this year's situation," the netizen wrote.
One Weibo user suggested a different character of the year, stating, "The Character of the Year: Down. The Word of the Year: a downward spiral," reflecting the post-pandemic economic struggles in the country.
For the past decade, China's annual characters have conveyed optimistic messages like "Meng" (dream), "Lian" (integrity), "Xiang" (enjoyment), and "Wen" (stability). Critics argue that the chosen character may not accurately reflect the current situation.
China is not the only country with such a tradition; Japan and Malaysia also designate characters of the year based on significant themes. In Japan, "Shui" (tax) was chosen, while in Malaysia, it was "Gui" (expensive). Taiwan selected "Que" (lack) as its character of the year, symbolising the challenges faced, including rising housing prices, inflation, and social problems, Voice of America reported.