#BREAKING: Posters comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping to Hitler have been spotted around USYD

WORDS BY JACINTA KEAST

Posters in Chinese and English urging Chinese students to disagree with China’s proposed abolishment of presidential term limits have surfaced on pin boards in the University of Sydney’s law school.

Photo credit: @StopXiJinping

The English text reads:
“Not my President. 
China’s National People’s Congress is expected to abolish term limits on Xi Jinping’s presidency. There is still time for us to let them know that WE DISAGREE” 
@StopXiJinping #NotMyPresident #我不同意 (I disagree)
 
The Chinese text reads: 
不是我的国家主席
反对全国人大修宪废除
国家主席连任限制
@StopXiJinping #NotMyPresident #我不同意

Identical posters have also appeared at the Australian National University, the University of Melbourne, Curtin University, Deakin University, Monash University, as well as at universities in the US, UK, Hong Kong and Canada. They are connected to the #NotMyPresident campaign run through the Twitter account @STOPXIJINPING.

Responding to a request for comment, the organisers said, “the goal of the campaign is to raise people’s awareness of Xi’s recent decision, as well as to encourage Chinese students around [the] world to express their opinions”. The organisers of the movement confirmed to Foreign Policy magazine that they are from Mainland China, but live in various Western countries. They have chosen to remain anonymous out of concerns for their safety.

Similar posters have also appeared on the Eastern Avenue noticeboards. One poster reads “Xi Jinping will become the Emperor the Tyrant! Xi Jinping is Xitler”, while the other said “The CCP is SATAN”. By Saturday afternoon, the latter poster had been torn down. It is not clear if the Eastern Avenue posters are connected to those in the Law School. 

 Photo credit (L): Sophia Zou

and (R) Jacinta Keast

The Sydney University Chinese Student & Scholars Association were approached for comment but did not respond. The campaign comes ahead of a vote today in China’s National People’s Congress that proposes to remove presidential term limits. Since 1982, the constitution has stipulated a 10-year limit for the position of President of the People’s Republic of China.