China’s government is forcing millions of people to download an app promoting president Xi Jinping and his Communist Party, according to reports.

Tens of millions of people use the “Study the Great Nation” (Xuexi Qiangguo) app, which allows users to earn points by following news about Mr Xi, such as watching videos of his international visits or answering quiz questions about economic policies.

Critics warn the app’s popularity is engineered by Communist Party officials, who put pressure on citizens to use the app and punish those who ignore it.

Study the Great Nation, which is a pun on Mr Xi’s name (Xuexi can be read as “Study Xi”), was developed by technology giant Alibaba and launched earlier this year.

It has since become the most downloaded app for Apple devices in the country, surpassing messaging app WeChat and viral media app TikTok, with state media claiming it has more than 100 million registered users.

Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Show all 20 1 /20 Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee enters a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A worker cleans a waterway as office buildings are seen at Huawei's new Ox Horn Research and Development campus in Dongguan, near shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Cesky Krumlov in Czech Republic Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees sleep in their cubicle in the research and development area after lunch at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's Ox Horn campus modelled after Heidelberg in Germany Getty Images Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees play basketball on a court within the staff housing complex at the end of the workday at the Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A replica of the Karl Theodor Bridge in Huawei's Ox Horn campus Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The real Karl Theodor Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees ride the bus home at the end of the workday from the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Huawei workers eat their subsidised lunch in one of many large cafeterias at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Reception staff walk in front of a large screen showcasing different technologies in the foyer of a building used for high profile customer visits at the campus in Shenzen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An employee reads in the staff library on a break at the company's Bantian campus in Shenzhen Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An area of Huawei's new Ox Horn campus modelled after a European City Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Servers are seen inside Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China The conductor waits for a train in the Huawei's Ox Horn campus at Songshan Lake in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China A general view shows the research and development centre at Huawei's Ox Horn campus AFP/Getty Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China Employees works on a mobile phone production line at Huawei's factory campus in Dongguan Reuters Inside Huawei's new campus for workers in China An office building on the Huawei campus in Dongguan AFP/Getty

The app has been compared to Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book” which was widely distributed during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.

“He is using new media to fortify loyalty towards him,” Wu Qiang, a political analyst in Beijing, told The New York Times.

Thousands of Communist Party officials have reportedly been ordered to ensure citizens use the app, with schools criticising students with low scores and companies ranking employees based on their usage.

Many employers reportedly require workers to submit daily screenshots to document their progress on the app or deduct pay if the app is not used frequently.

“It’s a perfect example of propaganda in the Xi era ... that appeals to China’s large online population,” Manya Koetse told AFP in February.

Ms Koetse studies social trends in China as the editor of What’s on Weibo, based on the popular social media website Sina Weibo.

The app is thought to be the latest attempt to solidify Mr Xi’s control over China.

Mr Xi is considered one of the most powerful Chinese leaders since Mao and could rule the country indefinitely – the Communist Party removed presidential term limits in March 2018.

Chinese woman Dong Yaoqiong live-streams herself spraying ink on poster of Xi Jinping

The president’s political theory, known as Xi Jinping Thought, was officially incorporated into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China in 2017, putting him among the country’s most significant leaders.

Efforts to crack down on criticism in recent years have included banning search terms related to political dissent and banning Winnie the Pooh, due to memes likening the character to Mr Xi.

It is not known how closely the government can track users on Study the Great Nation, although the app requires a mobile number to register and a national identification number for some features.

“You cannot divert attention away from it,” Haiqing Yu, an Australian professor who studies Chinese media, told The New York Times.