Is there a noun that expresses the act of presenting false appearances?

I want to write about the Chinese Government during the Cultural Revolution and argue that whilst they created the appearance of more political openness, it was merely a façade.

Is there a word that expresses the inauthenticity of their actions? Like the 'falseness' of their policies but referring specifically to the fact that they pretend to be something they're not and that they hide something more sinister.

Solution 1:

the appearance of more political openness, it was merely a façade. Is there a word that expresses the inauthenticity of ...

You can describe that as

• they were only cosmetic changes ,

  which means 'superficial' , as you say 'like a façade, not substantive, or, a bit stronger, you can say that those openings were unreal, fictitious,

• those changes were only make-believe

Solution 2:

We can say such dissembling is a charade.

Solution 3:

Potemkin village:

The phrase "Potemkin village" (also "Potyomkin village", derived from the Russian: Потёмкинские деревни, Potyomkinskiye derevni) was originally used to describe a fake portable village, built only to impress. According to the story, Grigory Potemkin erected the fake portable settlement along the banks of the Dnieper River in order to fool Empress Catherine II during her journey to Crimea in 1787. The phrase is now used, typically in politics and economics, to describe any construction (literal or figurative) built solely to deceive others into thinking that some situation is better than it really is. Some modern historians claim the original story is exaggerated.

This is a fairly well-known metaphor, though perhaps not so well as in the past.

Solution 4:

Obfuscate.

'Officials were obfuscating their true agenda beneath a thin veneer of mock improvements.'

Or something along those lines. It may not be exactly what you are looking for, however it seems in the spirit of what you are trying to describe.

from:http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/obfuscate

Some people are experts at obfuscating the truth by being evasive, unclear, or obscure in the telling of the facts. The people who are good at obfuscating would include defense lawyers and teenagers asked about their plans for Saturday night.

Although the verb obfuscate can be used in any case where something is darkened, less clear, or more obscure, it is most frequently used in reference to things like ideas, facts, issues, or the truth. The usual implied meaning is that this obfuscation is done deliberately. Politicians often obfuscate the truth about the issues to win support for their positions so they can win elections.

Regards, G