A U.S. college student has become a star in China for his professed love of communism and Chinese leadership.
Dylan Austin Walker, a 21-year-old student at Beijing Language and Culture University and a Communist Party USA member, has been trotted out regularly in recent weeks to sing the praises — both literally and figuratively — of the Communist Party of China, reports the Shanghaiist.
“He’s one of my favorite leaders,” Walker told China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency recently, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who secured new levels of power at a major political gathering last month. “I think in the whole world, he is the strongest leader we have right now.”
During Chinese National Day last month, the young man sang the song “Chinese Dream, My Dream,” a big musical number about Xi’s grand vision for “the great revival of the Chinese nation,” on the television show “Sing It Out Loud for China.”
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Walker bought a copy of Chairman Mao Zedong’s quotes when he first visited China, and he read it every day. The words of the man who founded the People’s Republic of China reportedly inspired him to join the Communist Party in the U.S.
“If I hadn’t learned from the quotations, I wouldn’t have joined the Communist Party USA,” he revealed in an interview with the nationalist tabloid The Global Times a week weeks later. “So Chairman Mao and the Communist Party of China have a special place in my heart,” he said.
“I think communism is the most advanced and the ideal social and political system,” Walker told reporters without acknowledging the tragic history of this particular political system. “We just want to make sure everyone can get access to basic welfare and rights,” the young college student explained.
In the interview, the American student praised Xi for his anti-corruption crackdown, a sweeping campaign that some critics have called an attempt to purge political opponents. The movement has resulted in the downfall of more than one million party officials, individuals Walker suggests lacked true faith in the ideals of communism.
“What’s terrible is that a communist might have doubts towards communism and socialism, and then loses this belief and faith,” he explained. “Just like what President Xi said before, some communist members lack ‘calcium’ that is lack of belief in communism and Marxism.” He expressed an interest in the stories of fallen officials in state-run media outlets.
In a March interview with another Chinese media outlet, Walker said President Donald Trump reminded him of Hitler or Mussolini, while lamenting Sen. Bernie Sanders unsuccessful efforts to become the Democratic nominee. He said that his organization is a proud supporter of Sanders, an outspoken socialist. Walker expressed disappointment that Sanders was marginalized during the U.S. presidential election.
While Walker is reportedly praised in China, some on Twitter and other social media outlets have called him a sellout or a wumao, a reference to commentators paid by China to influence public opinion.
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