{"id":83771,"date":"2023-11-27T06:00:45","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T19:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=83771"},"modified":"2023-11-24T20:22:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-24T09:22:05","slug":"singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe, China faced international scrutiny over its draconian control measures and the nature and origin of the pandemic. The Chinese Communist Party saw an urgent need to push back as it scrambled to uphold its global standing.<\/p>\n

The CCP\u2019s propaganda machine sprang into action, launching campaigns through party-state media to underscore the effectiveness of the CCP\u2019s leadership in navigating the crisis. \u2018Wolf warrior\u2019 diplomats and media workers, acting in accordance with Xi Jinping\u2019s directives to boost propaganda work, took to global platforms like Twitter and Facebook, presenting a narrative of resilience, capability and control amid chaos. This portrayal emphasised the \u2018advantages\u2019 of China\u2019s unique political and social system, turning scrutiny into an opportunity for praise.<\/p>\n

Yet, it wasn\u2019t merely the seasoned hands of party-state media or the fiery voices of diplomats that painted this rosy image. A relatively new set of players had stepped onto the stage: foreign influencers. This group of non-Chinese nationals residing in China and carefully nurtured by the CCP over the years has become an integral part of the choir, harmonising with the \u2018main melody\u2019 (\u4e3b\u65cb\u5f8b)\u2014the party\u2019s term for themes or narratives that promote its values, policies and ideology. Our new ASPI report, Singing from the CCP\u2019s songsheet: the role of foreign influencers in China\u2019s propaganda system<\/a><\/em>, explores how this process works.<\/p>\n

In an era where digital content is king, the CCP has recognised the power that foreign influencers wield compared to more traditional communication channels. Boasting millions of followers in China and overseas, especially on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Twitter, the CCP has identified, harnessed and actively developed foreign influencers as unique propaganda assets. It\u2019s become a symbiotic relationship\u2014aligned influencers flourish under the CCP\u2019s regulated social media ecosystem, while the party uses their popularity to bolster its legitimacy both domestically and internationally.<\/p>\n

By leveraging the supreme control that it has over the information environment in China, the CCP can eliminate discordant foreign voices and establish a monoculture of foreigners who, when talking about matters of political importance to the party, adhere to the \u2018main melody\u2019. Instead of a cacophony of competing views and voices, the party hopes to corral foreign influencers with party-state media workers masquerading as influencers as well as state-approved ethnic-minority influencers into a harmonious choir.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just about promoting Chinese culture or achievements; foreign influencers are being guided, both overtly and subtly, to defend the CCP\u2019s stance on sensitive issues. From territorial disputes to human rights concerns, the narratives pushed by many of these influencers are increasingly aligned with the CCP\u2019s \u2018main melody\u2019. The CCP\u2019s tentacles of influence extend even to international students at Chinese universities, building them into a ready-made army of young, social-media-savvy influencers.<\/p>\n

Taking a closer look, the CCP has used influencers to complement its geopolitical objectives. In particular, Russian influencers in China have been harnessed as part of the CCP\u2019s strategic goal of strengthening bilateral relations with Russia to counter Western narratives. What\u2019s more, foreign influencers\u2019 content is being strategically funnelled into mainstream overseas media, subtly penetrating the viewer\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n

Underlying all these efforts are the CCP\u2019s innovative strategies to incentivise influencers to produce pro-CCP content. State-sponsored competitions with generous rewards and the establishment of multilingual influencer studios in China serve as creative means to that end. These tactics, combined with search engine algorithms that favour fresh, regularly posted content, help CCP-aligned narratives outperform more credible sources on global platforms such as YouTube.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s crucial to recognise that not all foreign influencers in China are pawns in the CCP\u2019s game. While the party\u2019s overarching control of the information ecosystem might pressure some influencers into compliance, others avoid political topics altogether. Nevertheless, the line between independent voices and those influenced by the party\u2019s narratives is becoming increasingly blurred.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, the far-reaching implications of the CCP\u2019s use of foreign influencers are crystallising. As the strategy evolves, discerning between genuine content and propaganda becomes a formidable challenge for social media platforms, foreign governments and global audiences. This could complicate efforts to counter disinformation and protect the integrity of public discourse.<\/p>\n

In essence, the CCP\u2019s strategy is clear: to \u2018cultivate a group of \u201cforeign mouths\u201d, \u201cforeign pens\u201d and \u201cforeign brains\u201d who can stand up and speak for China at critical moments,\u2019 as one scholar wrote<\/a> in his treatise on the use of foreign influencers. The strategy presents a new dynamic in the global information landscape, one where ordinary content creators are enlisted to advance an authoritarian agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe, China faced international scrutiny over its draconian control measures and the nature and origin of the pandemic. The Chinese Communist Party saw an urgent need …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":714,"featured_media":83772,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1383,52,2162,1778,224],"class_list":["post-83771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-ccp","tag-china","tag-influence-operations","tag-propaganda","tag-social-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSinging the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe, China faced international scrutiny over its draconian control measures and the nature and origin of the pandemic. The Chinese Communist Party saw an urgent need ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-26T19:00:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-11-24T09:22:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sing2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"604\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Fergus Ryan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Fergus Ryan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI's analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sing2.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sing2.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":604},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/\",\"name\":\"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy | The Strategist\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-26T19:00:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-11-24T09:22:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd81e05e28cba72a1c28b5c93a28a3a\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd81e05e28cba72a1c28b5c93a28a3a\",\"name\":\"Fergus Ryan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d846158f606f0855031acc99bfcd8df?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d846158f606f0855031acc99bfcd8df?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Fergus Ryan\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/fergus-ryan\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy | The Strategist","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy | The Strategist","og_description":"In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe, China faced international scrutiny over its draconian control measures and the nature and origin of the pandemic. The Chinese Communist Party saw an urgent need ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/","og_site_name":"The Strategist","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org","article_published_time":"2023-11-26T19:00:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-11-24T09:22:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":604,"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sing2.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Fergus Ryan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ASPI_org","twitter_site":"@ASPI_org","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Fergus Ryan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/","name":"The Strategist","description":"ASPI's analysis and commentary site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sing2.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/sing2.jpg","width":1000,"height":604},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/","name":"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy | The Strategist","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2023-11-26T19:00:45+00:00","dateModified":"2023-11-24T09:22:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd81e05e28cba72a1c28b5c93a28a3a"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/singing-the-ccps-tune-foreign-influencers-and-chinas-propaganda-strategy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singing the CCP\u2019s tune: foreign influencers and China\u2019s propaganda strategy"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/8bd81e05e28cba72a1c28b5c93a28a3a","name":"Fergus Ryan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d846158f606f0855031acc99bfcd8df?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d846158f606f0855031acc99bfcd8df?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Fergus Ryan"},"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/fergus-ryan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83771"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/714"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83771"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83774,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83771\/revisions\/83774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}